Called and Gifted Student Guide

S haron C airns M ann
CALLED & GIFTED
W ritten in an engagingly clear and irenic style, the Called and

Gifted Study Guide may easily be the most concise overview
C A L L E D
CALLED
available today on the subject of women’s roles in the church. Created
specifically to help facilitate group discussions, the nine sessions move
&
participants through a systematic study of the various positions on this im-
&GIFTED
portant subject in an even-handed way, while still being clearly egalitarian.
Simple, readable, yet thorough, it provides a first look at the issues involved,
and provokes readers to rethink issues they may have thought were settled.
Whether you are contemplating individual or group study of this subject,
the Called and Gifted Study Guide is an ideal starting point for those who
want to study the subject but don’t know where to begin.
Sharon Cairns Mann

The Called and Gifted Study Guide is a companion to the statement pub-
lished by the Commission on Biblical Gender Equality of the Evangelical
Covenant Church (ECC) in a booklet entitled Called and Gifted.
SHARON CAIRNS MANN is a writer, speaker, and business owner. A mem-
G I F T E D
ber of Christ Community Covenant Church in Arvada, Colorado, she has
served on the boards of a variety of ECC institutions, and is currently a
member of the ECC’s Commission on Biblical Gender Equality.
CP Study Guide
Covenant Publications CP
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS FOR STUDENTS
CALLED & GIFTED
S haron C airns M ann
C A L L E D
&
G I F T E D
Study Guide
FOR STUDENTS
CP
Covenant Publications
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Covenant Publications
5101 North Francisco Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60625
(773) 907-3328
www.covchurch.org
Copyright © 2005 by Covenant Publications.
Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright
© 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in
the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
C O N T E N TS
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Unit One: Building Community

Session One
Asking Honest Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Session Two
How Do We Interpret the Bible?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Unit Two: History of Men and Women in the Bible and in the Church
Session Three
Starting at the Beginning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Session Four
Women in the Bible: Separating Fact from Myth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Unit Three: What Does Paul Really Teach?

Session Five
The Meaning of Kephalē. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
v
Contents
Session Six
Paul’s Instructions for the Church in Corinth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Session Seven
Paul’s Instructions for the Church in Ephesus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Unit Four: A New Vision for Ministry

Session Eight
The New Testament Model for Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Session Nine
Applying the Liberating Message of the Gospel in the
Local Church. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Recommended Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
vi
P R E FAC E
I mpressive scholarship on the subject of the biblical perspective on the

role of women in the church, home, and society abounds. There are
any number of books that you can pick up on the subject that delve deeply
into the question from a variety of viewpoints. In fact, there are so many
books to read and study that it is almost intimidating: where does one begin?
Many times in my own transition from traditionalist to egalitarian I wished
for a simple, concise, step-by-step guide to the egalitarian position.
In my service as a member of the Commission on Biblical Gender
Equality for the Evangelical Covenant Church, I searched for just exactly
that kind of guide: a good introductory overview written for lay people,
something thorough but readable.
Unable to find such a resource, the commission decided to write the
study guide that we envisioned. We wanted to create a first step for those who
desire to study this subject but don’t know where to begin. It isn’t possible
to adequately cover the topic in detail in nine sessions, so we don’t claim
that this material is comprehensive. But each of these sessions provides a
fine first look at an important component of this subject.
Most importantly, the sessions are never dogmatic and they leave open
the option for people to make up their own minds. The sessions serve as an
vii
Preface
irenic starting point for calm group study and discussion, without being
overbearing or strident.
Additionally, these sessions were written for a broad audience, not for
any particular denomination. While the commission hopes that members
of the Evangelical Covenant Church will find this study guide useful, our
vision goes far beyond the confines of our denomination.
So many people have been involved with this project that it is difficult
to thank everyone by name. This project would not have come to life at all if
it were not for the bold leadership of the Evangelical Covenant Church and
for the dedicated members of the Commission on Biblical Gender Equality,
all of whom staunchly advocated for this type of study aid.
In addition, this material has benefited greatly from the scholarly input
from Dr. Klyne Snodgrass, the Paul W. Brandel Professor of New Testament
Studies at North Park Theological Seminary; from the expertise from Doreen
Olson and Debbie Blue of the ECC’s Department of Christian Formation;
and from Jeff Norman’s (of Modesto Covenant Church) thoughtful analysis
and suggestions for activities. Judith Diehl kindly assisted with the mean-
ings of words in Hebrew, and Carol Lawson of the ECC’s Department of
the Ordered Ministry wisely shepherded this piece through all of its stages
of development. I express my thanks to each one of you!
I also thank the participants of the various groups who “piloted” this
material for your willingness to spend your valuable time on this project
and provide feedback.
May God greatly bless each one of you and may the name of Jesus be
glorified through this work.
viii
UNIT ONE
Building Community
SESSION ONE
Asking Honest Questions
O ur beliefs about the roles of men and women in the home,

church, and society are important to us. These beliefs are at
the root of who we are and how we think about social relations. Because
these beliefs are rooted in deeply held convictions about the way the world
is or should be, it is easy to become angry or fearful when these convictions
are challenged. It is important to enter this study knowing that others may
challenge our personal beliefs and that this is a subject that makes some
people uncomfortable.
And yet, what can be more important than understanding what God
has to say about our identities as men and women? Understanding what
God created us to be makes a difference in how we live every minute of our
lives! We hope you are looking forward to this study—it may be one of the
most rewarding studies of your life.
Why Study This Subject?

Many people have already formed an opinion about this subject, be-
lieving that they already know what the Bible says about it. Some are so
convinced of their position that they are baffled that there is any debate
at all. Others are new to the subject and are also confused by the fact that
3
Building Communit y
there is a debate. Some are simply intimidated by the subject, hate debate,
and are afraid to examine it. Still others seem to cherish and deliberately
stir up debate!
As people who desire to follow Christ, we need to take an intense inter-
est in any subject that affects people. As believers, we are part of the body
of Christ—the church—and we must recognize that many other members
of the body of Christ are asking serious and honest questions about the
roles of women in the church. And, as part of the body, we must take those
questions seriously and respond to the challenge to engage in rethinking this
issue. Our views on this issue influence the lives and ministries of women
around the world. In addition, the views we hold on this subject have direct
outcomes in our own lives, such as influencing where we worship and how
we use the spiritual gifts we have been given. There are practical outcomes
that result from the views we hold—we must be absolutely certain that our
views align themselves as closely as possible with biblical teaching.
“SCRIPTURE GIVES US many examples that show us that God approves

of honest questioning. The Book of Job reveals the questioning heart as
Job cries out to God in his agonized search for why such troubles have
befallen him, a man who has tried to honor and serve God to the very
best of his ability. The Prophet Jeremiah is another questioner, and in
many places the writers of the Psalms ask such tough questions as ‘Why
do the wicked prosper?’”
Gretchen Gaebelein Hull, Equal to Serve (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998), 30.
What Are the Different Positions on Gender Roles in the Church?

It is important to note that people who are passionately committed
to the accuracy and authority of Scripture hold different opinions on this
subject. Just because someone holds a different opinion than you do does
not mean that they do not earnestly seek to follow God’s word.
The positions that Christians take on the subject of gender roles in the
church fall into three basic categories. Naturally, there is a considerable
range of opinions and beliefs within each category.
4
Ask ing Honest Q uestions
Traditional (also known as hierarchical or patriarchal). This position

believes (with some variations) that there are fundamental differences be-
tween males and females that dictate different gender-based roles in the
home, church, and society. As a result, people who hold this view believe,
with varying degrees of intensity, that:
• Women should be silent in mixed gatherings.
• Women should not be in any “leadership” position over men.
• Women should not have “authority” over men.
• It is the responsibility of men to lead and teach in public worship.
• Only men have the authority to make decisions in the church.
• Only men can provide spiritual instruction to other men, therefore
only men can hold positions such as pastor, elder, or adult teacher.
Complementarian.1 Like traditionalists, complementarian beliefs are
rooted in the idea that there is some fundamental difference between males
and females that results in the need for men and women to hold different
roles. Some complementarians, however, tend to be less restrictive than tradi-
tionalists. They hold that there are many offices in the church that are open
to women, but that there are a few restrictions. Some believe, for example,
that women can serve in almost any capacity except as a senior pastor.
Egalitarian.2 The egalitarian position is rooted in the belief that God

created both men and women to share equally in the dominion of the
earth, in procreation, and in ministry. Egalitarians do not believe that there
are no differences between men and women, or that men and women are
interchangeable; rather they emphasize that men and women were both
created in the image of God and were created for full and equal partnership.
Therefore, they recognize the full dignity of each individual in Christ and
do not see biological sex as a limiting factor in ministry. Egalitarians believe
that God’s enduring principles are about equality of all people and equal
partnership in ministry. Egalitarians view the biblical passages that seem to
limit women’s roles in ministry as temporary restrictions for the particular
local, cultural situation. As a result, egalitarians believe that any office of the
church is open to men and women, and that service in the church should
be based on giftedness not gender.
5
Building Communit y
Personal Convictions
Sometimes people come to an issue like this believing that they have
a purely objective opinion, and that others don’t. It is important to under-
stand that all of our convictions about this issue—or any other issue—are
deeply influenced by the experiences and teaching we’ve received. We each
need to recognize that our experiences have influenced our thinking, and
that our experiences are not the final authority for understanding a bibli-
cal issue.
How We See the World

In trying to understand how different people—even those who call
themselves Christians—can arrive at such different conclusions, we must
consider our “worldviews.” What does that mean? The word came into
English use in the mid-nineteenth century, when it was translated from
the German weltanschauung, meaning literally welt (world) and anschauung
(view).
Our worldviews (and everyone has one) are how we see the world and
the important questions about the world and reality, such as, “What was
the origin of the universe?” “What is the purpose of life?” “What is real?”
and how we see God and ourselves in relation to the world and those ques-
tions. All humans ask these questions and the way we answer these questions
becomes the basis for the way we think, act, and make decisions.
It is important to be aware of our own worldview because it helps us
analyze our own perspective on things. We grow into our worldview as a
result of the way we have been socialized by parents, siblings, church, media,
and school as well as by the way we have experienced the world.
While there are hundreds of competing worldviews, most people who
call themselves Christians adhere to a “theistic” worldview. Theism acknowl-
edges that there is a personal God who created the universe and who has
given moral principles.
As we study the different “positions” on gender roles that we mentioned
above, it is important to note that they are all rooted in a theistic world-
view—which, thankfully, means that even if we hold a different position
6
Ask ing Honest Q uestions
from someone else in this area, we have more in common than not, and
what we have in common is important.
Conclusion
Most believers sincerely want to do what God tells them to do and
to be obedient to his teachings. Unfortunately, as we will see as we move
through this study, there are honest disagreements about how to translate
certain passages in the Bible, and genuine differences of opinion about
how to interpret what it is that God is teaching. It is important to always
affirm in others their desire to be faithful to doctrine, while examining how
our personal backgrounds and worldviews influence the stands they—and
we—take.
Discussion Questions
1) Why should believers study this subject?
2) What are some of the practical outcomes of our views on the roles of
women in the church?
3) Would you call yourself a traditionalist, a complementarian, or an egali-

tarian? How does that translate into what you believe about the roles
of women in the church?
7
Building Communit y
4) How did you develop this view? List the familial, cultural, and biblical
influences that contributed to the formation of your view.
For Reflection
Reflect on the following verse. Take time to study it in its larger context.
Ask yourself, “What did Paul really mean?”
“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many
of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no
longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians
3:26-28).
Endnotes
1. See “Complementarianism—What’s in a Name” by Rebecca Merrill Groothuis for a
more fully developed discussion of the label “complementarian,” available at http://www.
cbeinternational.org/new/free_articles/complementarianism.shtml.
2. A few people claim to be “complementarian egalitarians.” Given the general under-
standing of who and what the term “complementerian” refers to, it is a misappropriation
and contradiction of terms. A complementarian position is a hierarchical position. It is
simply a modification of a traditional view, which is why the term “neotraditional” is prob-
ably more appropriate. Again, see the article by Groothuis mentioned in endnote 1 for a
full development of this concept.
8
S E S S I O N T WO
How Do We Interpret the Bible?
M ost Christians believe that the Bible is the word of God. As

such, they have a high view of the Bible and believe that the
original texts should be translated with the utmost precision. While many
enjoy a paraphrased version for general reading, most want the Bible they use
for personal study to be a translation that is as close as possible to what the
original text really meant, while
still being understandable. Key verse
“THESE JEWS were more receptive
Paradoxes and than those in Thessalonica, for they
Presuppositions welcomed the message very ea-
There are many apparent gerly and examined the scriptures
every day to see whether these
contradictions in the Bible on a
things were so.”—Acts 17:11
variety of subjects. These contra-
dictions create seemingly unsolv-
able paradoxes. For example, sincere believers continue to debate topics
such as eternal security, limited atonement, and the gift of tongues because
there seems to be biblical support for positions on both sides of the argu-
ment. Some suggest that theological debates are circular; that is, where an
individual ends up on an issue frequently seems to depend on where he
9
Building Communit y
“MANY AUTHORS in their attempt to prove what Scripture says about

women, begin immediately to look at the various Scripture passages
that are relevant. Two dangers exist: one is that the Scripture that is cho-
sen as relevant depends on the author’s already established position;
and the other is that Scripture appears to say what we already believe
it says.”
Marilyn B. Smith, Gender or Giftedness (World Evangelical Fellowship Commission on Women’s Concerns,
2000), 2.
or she began. Where one ends up in these debates is frequently the result
of one’s personal biases plus an inclination to put more weight on certain
passages than others.
It is important to note that these contradictions have emerged because
of our faulty understandings, not because Scripture is at fault. The Bible is
one consistent story and our interpretation of it must involve the habits of
1) allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture, and 2) balancing all the texts
in a way that does justice to all that God has said. In addition to the key
hermeneutical principles of looking at the cultural, historical, and textual
context in which a passage was written, we must deal with the whole text in
order to understand specific texts: in other words, look at the passage in the
context of the totality of the teaching of all Scripture. This principle should
be central in how we approach the subject of biblical gender equality as well.
In a Bible study, believers should seek to be honest and humble in how they
approach the study, to set aside their personal biases to the greatest extent
possible, and to recognize that God’s story is a consistent story. We must,
in humility, try to discern God’s story, not impose our own on it.
Being biblical people is not always easy: some texts on this subject (and
others) are difficult to understand and require intense study and much prayer.
Others texts are too patently clear, and our problem isn’t understanding
them—it’s obeying them.
Basics of Interpretation
God was trying to say something through the human writers of the Bible
to both the first hearers and readers of any particular passage, as well as to
10
How D o We I nter pret the Bibl e ?
today’s hearers and readers. Consequently, when people, whether scholars

or laypersons, try to interpret the Bible, they should always ask two funda-
mental questions: 1) What was the author trying to say to the first hearers
and readers of this passage? 2) What is the significance of the intent of the
original author for us today?
Interpreting the Bible is not an easy task. It requires great scholarship to
understand what the original authors were saying to the first hearers—after
all, the Bible was recorded over a period of several thousand years in Hebrew,
Greek, and Aramaic. Scholars must consistently depend on tried and true
principles for translation and interpretation.
For example, two important principles are that 1) we can never simply
discard a text just because its meaning is difficult to discern, nor 2) can we
abandon Scripture just because it doesn’t seem relevant for today.
Another principle is that, in order to interpret any text, we must always
seek to understand the context. We can’t begin to make sense of a passage
until we answer basic contextual questions, including when, where, and
why was it written and by whom. Scholars can learn the answers to these
questions primarily through a careful, discerning reading of the text itself,
and then the larger text of God’s word. Then they can go beyond the text
and look at other sources, such as literature, history, and stories that can
shed light on that particular culture.
When we move to the question of what it means to us today, we must
also apply certain principles of interpretation. For example, we must ask
that question in light of all the other biblical passages on the same topic.
We must also avoid the trap of individualism—that is, applying it only to
me—and not asking what its relevance is for all of us today. God’s word is
for the church, not merely for each of us as individuals.
Finally, we must be aware of how the filter of our worldviews might
color the way we hear, understand, and interpret Scripture.
Problems
We all want to hear what God says to us, and we rely on translators to
render the Bible accurately. And yet, translators bring to the endeavor their
own biases and assumptions. That’s why teams and committees are assembled
11
Building Communit y
to work together to translate the Bible, so that there is a community of

agreement about the translation. Still, the people who comprise these teams
might all be subject to the same bias or cultural understanding, or develop
a collective identity with its own biases and cultural understanding.
For example, it appears that Junia (Iounian) was both a woman and an
apostle. Early translators of the Bible accepted this1 and no one suggested
that Junia was a man until the thirteenth century. But since then, many
translators, perhaps unable to accept that a woman could be an apostle,
present Junia as a male, even renaming her Junias, a linguistic improb-
ability.2 The result is that we have translations that inaccurately form our
beliefs about what the Bible teaches
about women. LEARN MORE about the his-
Besides inaccuracies in transla- tory of Bible translation by
tions, we also have the problem of watching an informative vid-
competing paradigms. Similar to a eo at www.tniv.info (available
worldview, a paradigm is the philo- in your choice of streaming
video formats).
sophical or theoretical framework in
which our ideas, theories, and views
are developed. For example, the paradigm that the world is flat results in
certain claims, laws, theories, and generalizations. The paradigm that the
world is round generates other claims, theories, and rules.
Paradigms are so taken for granted that they are hard to perceive. Even
when they are perceived, moving from one paradigm to another can be
hard to do. And, finally, some paradigms, by their nature, compete with one
another for our loyalties because they are mutually exclusive. You cannot
believe, for example, that the world is flat and the world is round.
Paradigms Relating to Gender Roles

In the first session, we identified the three basic positions on the roles
of women in the church. These positions grow out of paradigms. While
there are three basic positions, there are only two paradigms because both
the traditionalist view and the complementarian view grow out of the para-
digm of hierarchy, i.e., that men have God-given authority over women,
and that women are restricted because of their gender, while men are not.
12
This paradigm is rooted in a belief that the consequence of Adam and Eve’s
sin (Adam ruling over Eve) is prescriptive for all men and women—that is,
it is God’s punishment for all time. This hierarchical paradigm consists of
ideas about power, dominance, authority, and submission. The result is the
belief that one of the qualifications for leadership is biological (i.e., male-
ness), not just gifts and calling.
The egalitarian view grows out of a paradigm of redemption. The re-
demption paradigm interprets the overarching story of the Bible as being
the restoration of God’s original intent for community: oneness, equality,
mutuality, and service. The redemption paradigm views the gospel message
as liberating us from old divisions. In addition, authority is seen as residing
in God or God’s word; leadership is not viewed as having authority but as
being a servant; the result of Adam and Eve’s sin is seen as being descriptive,
rather than prescriptive. In this paradigm, leadership is based on gifts not
biological sex.
Conclusion
In this session, we have examined some of the challenges of translations
and interpretations. We have also looked at how one’s operating paradigm
can influence one’s position on the issue of women in ministry.
1) Do you believe the Bible is really the word of God?
2) If so, how important to you is it that it is accurately translated?
13
Building Communit y
3) Many sincere believers are bewildered by the fact that different people
can read the same text and believe different things about what it really
says. How can we account for the fact that different people interpret
the same passage in different ways?
4) What are some of the challenges of biblical translation?
5) Can you give an example of the suggestion above that theological debates
are circular?
6) Can you identify any paradigms under which you operate?
7) Discuss the two paradigms of hierarchy and redemption. How do these

paradigms influence particular positions on the subject of women’s roles
in the church? Does framing the discussion with the idea of paradigms
help you understand your own position better?
14
8) Is it possible to operate out of one paradigm, because that’s the way

you were taught, but really believe in another one? Can you give an
example?
Endnotes
1. Andrew Perriman, Speaking of Women (London: Apollos, 1998), 68-70.
2. Ibid.
15
U N I T T WO
History of Men and Women in

the Bible and in the Church
SESSION THREE
Starting at the Beginning
T he goal for this session is to take a fresh look at the creation story
and to try to discern God’s original intent for the relationship
between men and women.
The Creation Account and Humanity

The story of how God created human beings holds some keys about
God’s plan for humans. What does the text tell us? Compare these two
versions:
Genesis 1:26-31 (NIV)

26. Then God said, “Let us make man (adam) in our image, in our
likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds
of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the
creatures that move along the ground.”
27. So God created man (adam) in his own image, in the image of
God he created him; male and female he created them.
28. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase
in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the
19
H istor y of M en and Women in the Bible and i n t h e C h u rc h
sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that
moves on the ground.”
29. Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face
of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.
They will be yours for food.
30. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and
all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has
the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And
it was so.
31. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there
was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 1:26-31 (TNIV)

26. Then God said, “Let us make human beings (adam) in our image,
in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and
the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,
and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27. So God created human beings (adam) in his own image, in
the image of God he created them; male and female he created
them.
28. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase
in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the
sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that
moves on the ground.”
29. Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face
of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.
They will be yours for food.
30. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and
all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has
the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And
it was so.
31. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there
was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
20
Star ting at the B eginning
First, let us address some confusion about the word adam, a Hebrew
word with a semantic range that can mean any person or human being,
or male humans, or it can refer specifically to Adam, the individual. Note
that adama is also the word for “earth” or “ground.” Various versions of the
Bible translate adam in the Genesis passages differently: as “man,” “human
beings,” “humankind,” and “humans.”1 As noted above, for example, the
NIV translates Genesis 1:26 as, “Let us make man (adam) in our image. . .
and let them rule.” Nonetheless, it is clear that grammatically adam is plural,
so a better rendition of this word would be “humankind” or “human be-
ings,” because today “man” is no longer considered a generic term for both
men and women. (See sidebar below.)
Verse 27 neatly repeats what was just said in verse 26 and both verses
reveal a key point: both males and females were created in God’s image—
equally. There is no hint in these verses that there is any status difference
between the two sexes, nothing that hints that women were created as a
damaged or inferior image of God, or that men were created in a more
perfect image of God. The word of God clearly states that both male and
female were created in the image of God, and together reflect the image of
God.
Verse 28 goes on to reveal that God blessed them. God blessed both
sexes, and there is no indication otherwise. In the same verse, God gives
MOST PEOPLE today recognize that man is a false generic—that is, it is

not a generic term for humankind. A true generic “is equally applicable
to a class or group or to its individual members.”* So, for example, we
could call Mother Teresa a fine human or a wonderful person, but we
could not call her a good man. In other words, human and person are
true generics because they refer to both the group of humans and to
either individual male or female humans. Since man cannot be applied
to individual female members, it is not a true generic. Consequently, it
cannot and should not be applied to the class (humans) because it does
not accurately refer to all members.
*Casey Miller and Kate Swift, The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing (New York: Harper Perennial, 1988), 11.
This book provides a thorough discussion of man as a false generic.
21
a command to them (both male and female). The command is to be fruit-

ful, increase in number, fill the earth, subdue it, rule over the fish of the
sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves on the
ground. There is not any ambiguity about the fact that the command was
given to both female and male. Again, there is no hint of superiority or
lack of equality between the two sexes. Some people argue that God gave
this command to Adam before Eve was created, but there is no evidence to
support that theory. The account here in Genesis 1 gives the general story
of the creation of humans and the account in chapter 2 gives the specif-
ics of how it happened. A key point to observe is that although Genesis 1
and 2 give two different views of creation, both of them, in their different
ways, underscore that God is the creator and the unique role that humans
have in his purpose.
“MANY PEOPLE look to the order of creation (man created before wom-
an) as the model or standard by which we are to determine the functions
of women within the church and home. The difficulty is that there is con-
fusion about what the creation story actually tells us regarding God’s
intended plan for male and female relationships. The confusion results
from our tendency to read into Scripture what we have been taught it
says rather than approach Scripture free of bias and let it speak to us.”
Marilyn B. Smith, Gender or Giftedness (World Evangelical Fellowship Commission on Women’s Concerns,
2000), 2.
And finally, in verse 31, God’s word reveals that God was pleased with
what he had created. This certainly implies that the equality between the
two kinds of humans pleased God and had been blessed by God. In order
to please God, the quality of the creation had to have been excellent.
Details about the Creation of Humans

Genesis 2:4-25 is a more detailed account of the creation of humans
and demonstrates the various ways that adam can be translated. The pas-
sage clearly shows that adam is a word that, like certain English words, does
double duty and can only be understood in context. (For example, think of
all the meanings for English words such as “well” or “bank” and yet when
22
English speakers use these words, they communicate their intended mean-
ing with little or no difficulty.) Insisting that adam be translated “man”
when it is clearly not the intended meaning compromises the integrity of
the text for readers.
4. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they
were created. In the day that the Lord God made the earth and
the heavens,
5. when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of
the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused
it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one [adam, generic
human] to till the ground;
6. but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face
of the ground—
7. then the Lord God formed man [here adam refers to male,
singular] from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and the man [adam, male singular]
became a living being.
8. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and
there he put the man [adam, male singular] whom he had
formed.
9. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that
is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in
the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil.
10. A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there
it divides and becomes four branches.
11. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around
the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
12. and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are
there.
13. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows
around the whole land of Cush.
14. The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria.
23
And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15. The Lord God took the man [adam, human being] and put
him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
16. And the Lord God commanded the man [adam, human being],
“You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;
17. but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not
eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
18. Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man [adam]
should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.”
19. So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the
field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man
[most versions translate adam here and in the next occurrence in
this verse as man, male singular, although both the King James
and the New King James versions translate it as Adam, a proper
name] to see what he would call them; and whatever the man
[adam] called every living creature, that was its name.
20. The man [as in the previous verse, most versions translate the
first occurrence of adam in this verse as man, male singular, al-
though both the King James and the New King James versions
translate it as Adam, a proper name] gave names to all cattle,
and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but
for the man [several versions translate adam here as Adam, the
male being’s proper name, even though the same Hebrew word
is used] there was not found a helper as his partner.
21. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man
[adam], and he slept; then he took one of his [adam] ribs and
closed up its place with flesh.
22. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man [adam,
male singular] he made into a woman [issha] and brought her
to the man [adam].
23. Then the man [some versions translate adam here as man, sin-
gular male, while others translate it as Adam, a proper name for
the male being] said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh
of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman [issha], for out of
24
Man [ish, notice a different word for man is used here] this one
was taken.”
24. Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to
his wife [issha, notice that issha is translated woman in verse
22, and wife in this verse and the next], and they become one
flesh.
25. And the man [adam, generic human or person] and his wife
[issha] were both naked, and were not ashamed.
What Kind of Companion Did God Make for Adam?

In Genesis 2:18 we read that God declared, “I will make a helper as his
partner ['ezer knegdo],” and again in verse 20, we read, “there was not found
a helper as his partner.” The Hebrew word 'ezer is frequently translated as
“helper,” which some have come to interpret or understand as an inferior
or one in a supporting role. Unlike the English word “helper,” the Hebrew
'ezer implies no inferiority; in fact, this word most frequently refers to God
in the Old Testament, meaning protector or rescuer.2 Its modifier, knegdo,
means “suitable,” “face to face,” “equivalent to,” or “visible,” and indicates
that God created an equivalent human being to be a good companion for
the male being he had created. Read as “ally” or “equivalent protector,”
'ezer knegdo implies neither authority nor subordination for either man or
woman.
In addition, there is no indication in the Genesis 2 account that God
ordained patriarchy; however, we will see in the next section that patriarchy
shows up in Genesis 3 as a result of sin—the thirst for dominance and the
abuse of power.
Damage to the Plan

In the following passage of Genesis 3:1-19 we read about how sin (that
is, disobedience to God) damaged God’s plan.
1. Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal
that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God
say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
25
2. The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the
trees in the garden;
3. but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is
in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall
die.’”
4. But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die;
5. for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and
that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be
desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she
also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.
7. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were
naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths
for themselves.
8. They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden
at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid
themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees
of the garden.
9. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where
are you?”
10. He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was
afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
11. He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten
from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
12. The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she
gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.”
13. Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you
have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I
ate.”
14. The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days
of your life.
26
15. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between
your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will
strike his heel.”
16. To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pangs in
childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your
desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”
17. And to the man he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of
your wife, and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded
you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of
you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18. thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat
the plants of the field.
19. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to
the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to
dust you shall return.”
In this passage we see that many good relationships were damaged by

sin:
• the relationship between people and God,
• the relationship between people and nature,
• the relationship between people and people (Adam and Eve, male
and female), and
• the relationship between one of God’s created beings (the serpent)
and God.
THE FOLLOWING websites of-
When God addressed Eve in
fer more discussion on gender
Genesis 3:16, he described what
equality:
would happen as a result of this sin.
• www.gal328.org
Some people see this passage as a “pre- • www.equalitycentral.com
scriptive” declaration—the way things • www.patriciagundry.com
should be—the way God wanted • www.cbeinternational.org
things ordered from now on. Others
insist that it is “descriptive,” that God was describing the future results of
sin: that the equality and mutuality between Eve and Adam would now
be marred. God’s perfect plan of equality had been damaged, corrupted
27
into an asymmetrical relationship of domination and subordination. The

corruption affected both male and female: it is a corruption to become a
“ruler” if God’s plan is for equality, just as it is a corruption to become the
“ruled one.”
Conclusion
In this session, we’ve taken a fresh look at the creation story. For those
who have been taught that certain verses in the Genesis account imply
dominance and subordination between male and female, this kind of fresh
study can be startling. Tradition and cultural biases have led to a traditional-
ist view being taught as normative—that is, how things should be. But we
have seen that God’s original intent was for equality, mutuality, and respect
between men and women. This plan was damaged by sin, corrupting the
symmetrical relationship that Adam and Eve had and turning it into some-
thing that God had not planned for humans.
1) Is there anything that surprises you about the creation account given
in Genesis 1?
2) As you study the account now, does it differ from what you’ve been
taught in any way?
3) From what did God make Adam and the animals?
28
4) From what did God make Eve?
5) What does it mean when Adam declares that Eve was “bone of my
bones and flesh of my flesh”?
6) Is there any inferiority implied in Adam’s declaration?
7) Is there anything in the Genesis 2:4-25 text that shows that because God
created Eve to be a “helper” for Adam, that God intended hierarchy for
these two created beings?
8) When God addressed Eve in Genesis 3:16, do you think God was
describing what would happen or prescribing what would happen?
In Preparation for Next Week

Read Judges 4 and 5; 2 Kings 22:1–23:25; and 2 Chronicles
34:1–35:19.
29
Endnotes
1. See http://www.bibletexts.com/terms/heb-adam.htm for more details about all the
various ways adam can be and has been translated, including an easy-to-read chart that lists
how different Bible versions have translated the word in different verses.
2. The word'ezer is used twenty-one times in the Old Testament, and it refers to God
fifteen of those times (Exodus 15:2; 18:4; Deuteronomy 33:7, 26, 29; 1 Kings 7:12;
2 Samuel 22:42; Psalm 9:10; 33:20; 69:6; 89:19, 20; 115:9-11). Because the word 'ezer
so frequently refers to God, it could be interpreted as implying a superior status, except
that its modifier knegdo seems to point to equivalency—not superiority or inferiority. Or,
as Andrew Perriman points out, “What the word defines is not essentially the status of the
helper (the helper may be either superior or inferior), but the condition of the one in need
of help. This is of considerable importance. We cannot conclude from the position of Eve
as helper that she was placed under the authority of man.” Andrew C. Perriman (Speaking
of Women[London: Apollos, 1998], 179.)
30
SESSION FOUR
Women in the Bible: Separating Fact from Myth
T he goal of this session is to show that, in spite of a patriarchal

culture, God called women to be leaders in the Old Testament, the
New Testament, and throughout church history. Humans have corrupted
God’s original design by creating cultural norms that prohibit women from
leadership. In spite of those norms, God calls women into leadership. This
session shows that God overturns cultural strictures about women in leader-
ship, God doesn’t create them.
In Preparation Read
• Judges 4 and 5
• 2 Kings 22:1–23:25
• 2 Chronicles 34:1–35:19
Women in the Old Testament

The Hebrew culture was strongly patriarchal and hierarchical. As stated
in the previous session, patriarchy appeared as a result of sin. It is also
likely that the Israelites absorbed patriarchal attitudes from the surround-
ing idolatrous nations. There is no evidence that God ordained hierarchy,
nor that the Israelites believed that it was God ordained.1 As we will see
31
in this session, God appears to have a different design. God seems to have
consistently turned the existing social order on its head.
Both Deborah and Huldah were respected leaders in Israel. They re-
ceived their authority from God through their godly characters and God-
given gifts. Note that Deborah was a judge. To be a judge was to hold the
highest-ranking office in Israel. Read Judges 2:16-18. God called (raised up)
judges to this leadership position and “whenever the Lord raised up judges
for them, the Lord was with the judge...” (v. 18).
It is interesting to note in these accounts that even the highest-ranking
people (generals, priests, and kings) consulted Deborah and Huldah. The
texts do not give any indication that there was anything unusual about this,
nor do they indicate that there were restrictions on women giving advice
to men in other circumstances. In the texts, the people clearly recognized
Deborah and Huldah as God’s spokespersons.
Women in the New Testament

By the time Jesus came, the patriarchal and hierarchical nature of the
Jewish culture had reached an apex. Essentially, women were confined to
the private sphere of the home and family, while males were allowed to
fully function in the public sphere. Women were forbidden to study the
Torah, and girls were not educated in synagogue schools. Women were
not allowed to enter the court of Israel at the temple, and their testimony
was not acceptable in court. These are just a few examples of the extreme
exclusivity that prevailed when Jesus arrived on the scene—and not just
exclusion of women, but of many other types of people. (The other study
guide in this series, All God’s People by John E. Phelan Jr., provides an in-
depth examination of this culture and Jesus’ response to it.) There are many
examples of how Jesus turned the cultural norms on their heads, including
the following:
• Jesus had women disciples (see Luke 8:1-3).
• When Jesus taught in the temple, he didn’t teach in the restricted
areas, but in the broader courts, where his teaching was accessible
to all.
32
Women in the Bible: S eparating Fac t f ro m M y t h
• When questioned by the Pharisees about divorce, Jesus resisted be-

ing caught up in their legalistic debate. Instead he exposed double
standards and pointed to compassion (Matthew 19:3-10).
• Not only did Jesus teach women, but he also went out of his way to
talk to women (John 4:7-42) and heal them. Note that the Samaritan
woman went on to become an evangelist and because of her, many
Samaritans became believers (John 4:39). Martha also gave testimony
of Christ (John 11:27).
• Jesus never patronized women.
• Jesus used women as well as men in his illustrations (Matthew 13:31-
33; 24:40-41; 25:1-13; and 14-30; Luke 15:3-7; 15:8-10).
These are just a few examples of how Jesus’ ministry completely violated
the expected cultural norms, which shows that Jesus did not perpetrate the
existing hierarchical and patriarchal society. His actions eradicated that
kind of exclusion and restored God’s original intent for equality and re-
spect between men and women. As Marilyn Smith says, Jesus stepped in
and “revealed a new paradigm, with new values, new attitudes, and new
practices.”2
Men and Women as Prophets in the Early Church

Read Acts 2:1-21.
1. When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in
one place.
2. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of
a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were
sitting.
3. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue
rested on each of them.
4. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak
in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
5. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven
living in Jerusalem.
6. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, be-
33
cause each one heard them speaking in the native language of

each.
7. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are
speaking Galileans?
8. And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native lan-
guage?
9. Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea
and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10. Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging
to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
11. Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speak-
ing about God’s deeds of power.”
12. All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What
does this mean?”
13. But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14. But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed
them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be
known to you, and listen to what I say.
15. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine
o’clock in the morning.
16. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
17. ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my
Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old
men shall dream dreams.
18. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will
pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
19. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the
earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
20. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
21. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall
be saved.’”
34
Women in the Bible: S eparating Fac t f ro m M y t h
In this passage, we have the account of the day of Pentecost. What an

amazing day that must have been! Both men and women were prophesy-
ing, just as Joel had prophesied. Some teach that this is not fulfillment of
Joel’s prophecy, but that is a direct contradiction of what Peter says. Peter
distinctly says that this is “what was spoken by the prophet Joel.”
In addition to the passage above, there are other Scripture texts that
show that prophets in the New Testament were both women and men (just
as Huldah was a prophet in the Old Testament). See the stories of Anna
and Simeon (Luke 2:25-38); the daughters of Philip (Acts 21:8-9); Judas
and Silas (Acts 15:32); and the men and women in the church at Corinth
(1 Corinthians 11:4-5).
“THE GREEK WORD describing Phoebe is diaconis (which clearly means

deacon). Some English versions use ‘deaconess’ although there was no
such word in Greek at that time. Other translations use ‘servant.’ This is
an accurate translation of diaconis, but if it is used to describe Phoebe, it
also ought to be translated that way when used of the church leaders in
Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8, 12, 13, and also to describe Paul, Timothy,
Tychicus, and Apollos. It is the same word in all instances. Check your
favorite translation to see what is used of Phoebe in Romans 16:1-2 and
compare it to the other places in the letters of Paul where it appears:
Romans 13:4; 15:8; 1 Corinthians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 6:4; 11:23; Gala-
tians 2:17; Ephesians 3:7; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8, 12-13. The other
word used to describe Phoebe in Romans 16:2 is prostatis. This is the
feminine form of the Greek word that means ‘leader, one who presides,
stands before, a patron.’ Most translations, however, have used ‘helper,
good friend, assistant’—words that do not express the leadership flavor
of the Greek term prostatis.”
A. Berkeley Mickelsen and Alvera Mickelsen, Studies on Biblical Equality (Minneapolis: Christians for Biblical
Equality), 21.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we see that men and women served side by side in the
early church. Women and men were persecuted together, they studied to-
35
gether, and they led together. This is the model, the “redemption paradigm”
that we talked about in an early session that Jesus came to restore and that
we should emulate today.
1) Can you think of other women who played important roles in the his-
tory of Israel?
2) What does it mean to “prophesy”?
3) How does studying women leaders in the Bible influence your thinking
about women leaders in the church today?

Read 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; Ephesians 1:13-23; 4:11-16; 5:18-23; and
Colossians 1:13-20; 2:8-19.
Endnotes
1. A. Berkeley Mickelsen and Alvera Mickelsen, Studies on Biblical Equality (Minneapolis:
Christians for Biblical Equality), 15.
2. Marilyn B. Smith, Gender or Giftedness (World Evangelical Fellowship Commission
on Women’s Concerns, 2000), 21.
36
UNIT THREE
What Does Paul Really Teach?

SESSION FIVE
The Meaning of Kephalē
W hile this study guide is focused on the subject of women in

ministry, and not on marriage, studying the broader context
of what Paul taught about men and women is apropos to this study and
leads to a richer understanding of the issuses involved.
In discussions about women’s roles in the home, church, and society,
Christians have given much attention to the passage in Ephesians 5:23,
which says, “For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the
head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior.” Traditionalists
have interpreted this to imply some kind of subordination or inferiority
of women. Egalitarians, on the other hand, say that nothing of the kind is
implied. The debate centers on the Greek word kephalē, which is typically
translated as the English word “head.” This lesson attempts to present an
overview of the debate. It is a complex matter, not easily resolved. There
are many views and many voices. Sorting through it all can be difficult
enough for scholars—it may seem even more daunting for laypeople who
don’t have a theological background and haven’t been schooled in biblical
languages. A key thought to keep in mind about this debate is that if it
were simple and the answers were crystal clear, there wouldn’t be debate!
39
What D oes Paul R eally Teach ?
The goal of this session is to introduce the complexities of the debate, not
to solve it for you.
In Preparation Read
• 1 Corinthians 11:2-16
• Ephesians 1:13-23; 4:11-16; 5:18-23
• Colossians 1:13-20; 2:8-19
Paul’s Use of Kephalē

Let’s start by looking at the passages in the New Testament in which
Paul uses the word kephalē metaphorically. The specific verses in which the
word occurs are provided below, but keep your Bibles open during this study
in order to refer to the entire passage surrounding these texts. Context is
always important in understanding a passage.
• 1 Corinthians 11:3: “But I want you to understand that Christ is the
head (kephalē) of every man, and the husband is the head (kephalē)
of his wife, and God is the head (kephalē) of Christ.”
• Ephesians 1:22: “And he has put all things under his feet and has
made him the head (kephalē) over all things for the church.”
• Ephesians 4:15: “But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up
in every way into him who is the head (kephalē), into Christ.”
• Ephesians 5:23: “For the husband is the head (kephalē) of the wife
just as Christ is the head (kephalē) of the church, the body of which
he is the Savior.”
• Colossians 1:18: “He is the head (kephalē) of the body, the church;
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might
come to have first place in everything.”
• Colossians 2:10: “And you have come to fullness in him, who is the
head (kephalē) of every ruler and authority.”
• Colossians 2:19: “And not holding fast to the head (kephalē), from
whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments
and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.”
40
The M eaning of Kephalē
At Issue
There are several key questions in the debate about kephalē, especially
as it is used in Ephesians 5:23.
1) What does kephalē mean in Greek? Simply stated, most traditionalists
contend that kephalē means authority (to rule over),1 while many
egalitarians contend it does not. On the other hand, some egalitar-
ians argue that it primarily means “source” or “origin,”2 while some
traditionalists contend that it does not.
2) What was Paul trying to say when he used kephalē? This question
sometimes gets ignored in the argument over what the actual uses
of the word were in the Greek literature of that time. When this
question is ignored, we lose sight of the fact that Paul was pointing
to a new understanding of marriage and a new model of leadership
for Christians.
3) What is the best English word for kephalē? Some egalitarians argue
that the English word “head” has connotations that the Greek word
doesn’t have and that Paul didn’t intend, most notably the idea of
“authority over.”3
Let’s try to wade through these questions. Many scholars note that the
literal meaning of kephalē is the physical “head,” a meaning that frequently
includes the idea of a “physical extremity.” But, translating kephalē as the
English word “head” often misleads people into thinking that it means
control. As Klyne Snodgrass says, “Many have assumed that kephalē means
‘boss,’ ‘person in charge,’ or ‘leader,’ since the word has those metaphori-
cal meanings in English.”4 We in the modern Western world understand
that the brain controls the body, so it is hard for us to separate the idea of
“control” from of the word “head.” But the Greeks did not have the same
understanding of physiology that we have. According to Faith Martin,
“They believed that the heart was the seat of the intellect and the head
was the source of life and life fluids....Accordingly, when Zeus gave birth
to [Athena, she] sprang from his head.”5
Difficulties in understanding this word arise because of Western con-
notations for the English word “head.” It is hard to avoid eisegesis here;
41
that is, reading back into the text our own interpretations based on our own
perspective or cultural understanding. So, while it isn’t wrong to render
kephalē as “head” in English, the result is that English readers are prone to
understand “head” as authority or dominant position, even though in Greek
texts, kephalē was not typically used to describe the relationships of individu-
als to one another, and especially not superior/subordinate relationships.
The challenge, therefore, is to let go of our own cultural understandings of
the word “head” so that we can open ourselves to the meaning of kephalē
as situated in this text.6
Beyond the more literal meaning of “head” mentioned above, kephalē,
at the time Paul wrote these passages, was used metaphorically in a variety
of other ways. Discerning Paul’s metaphorical meaning is the real challenge.
Kenneth Neller notes that, “In extra-biblical Greek literature, kephalē (head)
refers primarily to what is first or supreme, or to an extremity, end, or point.
As such, the term was used to designate not only the head of a person or
animal, but also the prow of a ship, head of a pillar, top of a wall, source or
mouth of a river, or start of a period of time. The word could also signify
what was prominent, outstanding, or determinative.”7 Other scholars agree
with Neller, preferring “preeminence.”8
Some traditionalists, such as Wayne Grudem, argue that “the evidence
“THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE lexicon of the Greek language of that pe-

riod available in English is one compiled by Liddell, Scott, Jones, McKen-
zie that covers classical and koine Greek from 1000 B.C. to about 600 A.D.
The lexicon lists about 25 possible figurative meanings of head that were
used in Greek literature. The list does not include our common English
usage of head as ‘authority over,’ ‘boss,’ ‘superior rank,’ or anything simi-
lar to that idea. Instead the lexicon includes figurative meanings such
as top or extremity of such things as a vessel, a wall, a capital of a col-
umn; the source or mouth or origin of something (we still use that idea
in ‘headwaters of a river’), the crown or completion or consummation of
something; sometimes head stands for the whole person.”
A. Berkeley Mickelsen and Alvera Mickelsen, Studies on Biblical Equality (Minneapolis: Christians for Biblical
Equality), 26.
42
to support the claim that kephalē means ‘source’ is surprisingly weak, and,
in fact, unpersuasive,”9 and “the evidence to support the claim that kephalē
can mean ‘authority over’ is substantial.”10 Egalitarians and other scholars,
however, strongly disagree and point out that the Liddell-Scott Lexicon
omits the meaning of “authority over” as one of the metaphorical meanings
of kephalē (see sidebar on previous page).11
The meaning of kephalē as “source of life” or “preeminence” can be most
clearly understood in the passages above that refer to Christ (Colossians
1:18; 2:19; Ephesians 4:15). Yet, in Colossians 2:10, it would be hard to
imagine that kephalē means that Christ is the “source” of the principalities
and powers.12
The Septuagint is another important source of information about how
kephalē was used. The Septuagint is the name of the Old Testament that
was translated from Hebrew into Greek. The Hebrew word ro'sh, which
usually means the physical head of a person or animal, is also used, like in
English, as a metaphor to indicate a leader or a person in authority. And yet,
the Hebrew-Greek scholars who translated the Old Testament into Greek
didn’t always use kephalē when the meaning was “commander,” “leader,” or
“ruler.” They frequently used the Greek work archon instead. This is not to
say they didn’t use kephalē at all. They used a variety of other Greek words
(at least twelve13) to translate ro'sh, including kephalē, especially when “head”
was a metaphor for “top” or “crown” or in a head-tail metaphor—but not
typically as ruler.
Several scholars develop the claim that the metaphorical sense of
kephalē in Ephesians 5:23 is best understood as referring to or underscor-
ing the unity of the head and body, and the resulting natural inclination
of an organic whole to work to preserve itself, and to provide nourishment
and care, even to the point of death (“as Christ loved the church and gave
himself up for her” v. 25).14 Similarly, others suggest that kephalē is best ren-
dered as “enabler” in this context, or “one who brings to completion.”15
Other scholars point out that understanding kephalē doesn’t ultimately
depend on looking at previous usage of the word or extra-biblical texts; rather
much of its meaning can be—and should be—understood by studying how
it is used in its context.16 As a result, both Neller and Snodgrass argue that
43
kephalē, while it frequently can mean “ruler” or to hold “authority over,”

probably doesn’t mean that in Ephesians 5:23, but rather suggests “respon-
sibility for,”17 with an emphasis on the “self-giving love of both Christ and
the husband.”18
Conclusion
An examination of word meanings and origins can seem tedious and
difficult. The details of the preceding discussion may leave us a little con-
fused, but one thing should stand out clearly: there are definitely different
interpretations of what kephalē means and different ideas of how it should be
translated. So how do laypersons with no background in biblical languages
make a decision about which one is right? How can we arrive at some closure
for ourselves in this inconclusive debate?
Continued prayerful study is always a good course of action. In addi-
tion, when you are confronted with a case of ambiguous meaning, or more
than one meaning, remember this principle of interpretation: in the case
of more than one meaning for a word, it is always best to determine the
meaning from within the text, and not force a meaning on it from outside
of the text.
By applying this principle, one realizes that while kephalē may some-
times mean “authority over,” or “rule over,” it is probably not the best way to
understand or translate kephalē in Ephesians 5:23 because it is not consist-
ent with the profound truth that Paul is trying to teach in Ephesians 5:21
of mutual submission. In addition, we can probably also safely conclude
that the English word “head,” while literally accurate, may mislead with its
connotations of dominance.
44
1) Try reading Ephesians 5:23 substituting all the different meanings of
kephalē presented in this session. This will help you understand the
wide range of possibilities, and why there is debate. Now, reading it in
the context of Ephesians 5:21-33, what do you think was Paul’s intent
and what might be the best translation of the word?
2) What do you think was the impact of the message of Ephesians 5:21-33
on the men and women in the church in Ephesus?
3) How does an understanding of the debate over kephalē, even though

these passages refer to a marriage relationship, add to our understanding
about women in ministry? Should it?

Read Acts 2:17; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; and 14:26-40.
Endnotes
1. See Wayne Grudem, “The Meaning of Kephalē (‘Head’): A Response to Recent Studies”
in Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, ed. W. Grudem and J. Piper (Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Books, 1991), 425-68, and James Hurley, Man and Woman in Biblical Perspective
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981).
2. See, for example, the writings by Mickelsen and Mickelsen; Bilezikian; Kroeger; Fee;
and Besançon Spencer, as mentioned in the Recommended Reading section at the end of
this book.
45
What D oes Paul R eally Teach?

4. Klyne Snodgrass, The NIV Application Commentary: Ephesians (Grand Rapids: Zonder-
van, 1996), 294-295.
5. Faith Martin, Call Me Blessed (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), 169.
6. Linda Belleville, Women Leaders and the Church (Grand Rapids: Baker House, 2000),
123.
7. Kenneth V. Neller, “ ‘ Submission’ in Eph. 5:21-33,” in Essays on Women in Earliest
Christianity (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1995), 253.
8. See Richard Cervin, “Does Kephalē Mean ‘Source’ or ‘Authority Over’ in Greek Lit-
erature? A Rebuttal,” Trinity Journal (1989): 112, and Belleville, 123.
9. Grudem, 424.
10. Ibid.
11. Grudem dismisses this fact by saying that it “is an oversight that should be cor-
rected” (p. 425).
12. Snodgrass, 295.
13. See list in Mickelsen and Mickelsen, 30.
14. See Belleville, 125; Neller, 256; and Joe E. Trull, “Is the Head of the House at Home?”
Priscilla Papers, Vol. 14, No. 3, Summer 2000.
15. Mickelsen and Mickelsen, 35.
16. See Neller and Snodgrass.
17. Snodgrass, 295.
18. Ibid.
46
SESSION SIX
Paul’s Instructions for the Church in Corinth
T he goal of this session is to present an overview of Paul’s teach-

ing in 1 Corinthians 14:26-40, to discuss whether or not these
instructions really forbid women from speaking in the church, and to arrive
at a biblically sound understanding of this passage.
In Preparation Read
• Acts 2:17
Background
As always, it is important to examine the context of the passages in
question. Paul wrote these passages as a part of a letter to the Corinthians in
approximately ad 54-55. The Corinthians were the people in Corinth who
had converted to Christianity and were meeting together as a church.
Since Christianity was relatively new, its worship formats were not well
established. The Corinthians did not have hundreds of years of church his-
tory to draw from as far as what worked or didn’t work for congregational
worship.
47
These Christian believers were, in fact, worshiping together in an en-

tirely new way. Formerly, religious worship, whether Jewish or otherwise,
was characterized by officials or priests, whose official duty was to control
and lead worship. In the new Christian church, all believers participated as
led by the Spirit and according to their gifts, and it appears that this was
frequently done without having a formal leader. This passage indicates that
these believers came together to share what the Holy Spirit had given them,
each one having received a spiritual gift intended to help the church grow
and function well together.
Unfortunately, in their exuberance to speak and share these gifts, their
congregational meetings had become quite disorderly. This is the back-
ground of the church to which Paul was writing, and Paul understood that
background. We, too, must understand this context in order to understand
what Paul was saying.
Difficulties and Contradictions

Does this text really restrict women from speaking? If you simply read
the clear meaning of the words in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, the answer to
that question would be “yes.” But a “yes” answer raises other problems that
would then need to be solved.
“THE WORD phimoō indicates a forced silence, i.e., when Jesus stilled
the raging sea, quieted the unclean spirit, and silenced the Pharisees….
Hesuchia is used for silence when the women were to learn in quiet-
ness—with a quiet and receptive spirit (1 Timothy 2:11-12).…But in this
passage, Paul uses sigaō. It is the word used when the disciples decided
to remain silent about the transfiguration (Luke 9:36) and when Jesus
said that if the disciples were silent (sigaō) the very stones would cry
out. It is the word used for Jesus’ silence during his trial (Mark 14:61) and
the silence of the apostles and elders as they listened to a report by Paul
and Barnabas (Acts 15:12). It is a chosen response—or it can also be a
request for silence so that someone can speak (Acts 12:17). It is the kind
of silence called for in the midst of disorder and tumult.”
John Bristow, What Paul Really Said about Women (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1988), 62-63.
48
Paul ’s I nstruc tions for the Church in Co r i nt h
Understanding whether Paul meant to permanently restrict women from

speaking in church for all time is an important exegetical and theological
challenge. Marilyn Smith explains why:
The central issue is whether the restrictions here contradict the

privilege Paul gives to women to pray and prophesy publicly in 1
Corinthians 11. Three options are available and we need to choose
what we will believe:
1) It is a misunderstanding that Acts 2:17 and 1 Corinthians
11:2-16 [and 14:39] permit women to prophesy in the
church;
2) It is a misunderstanding that 1 Corinthians 14:34-35
forbids all vocal, audible participation in the church by
women; or
3) Paul contradicts himself.1
Scholars offer a variety of explanations for these difficulties and apparent

contradictions,2 including ideas such as:
• Paul did not write the verses and they were inserted later. There is
some support for this argument, but most scholars conclude that
these verses are authentic Pauline texts.3
• Paul is quoting the Corinthian view in verses 34 and 35 in order
to refute it. In other words Paul is saying, “What? Women should
remain silent in the church!? May it never be—I didn’t teach you
that.” While this view is gaining popularity, some refute it.4
• Paul is referring to two different types of gatherings in 1 Corinthi-
ans 14 and 1 Corinthians 11. If the gathering was in the home, for
example, women could pray and prophesy (11:5), but not when
they are in church. This solution presents innumerable difficulties
since most of the early churches were public gatherings in homes,
and it is very likely that the gathering Paul referred to in 11:3-16
was indeed the public type.5
• Some believe that Paul’s injunction in 14:34-35 was only against
married women in the church, and that Paul considered unmarried
49
women better candidates for holy participation in worship. This flies

in the face of cultural norms of the day, however, in which there were
more restrictions against unmarried women than married.6
What Did Paul Really Mean?

Taking Paul’s instructions in the context in which they were given, which
was clearly about order during the worship service, it seems that he must be
asking women to not converse7 during the service—that is, to voluntarily
quiet themselves; to not keep chatting and asking questions. Paul’s injunc-
tion is against the noise and the disorder, just as it was for those who were
speaking in tongues and prophesying in a noisy, disorderly way, regardless
of whether they were men or women. And notice that while “not convers-
ing” during the service is an appropriate principle for orderly worship, it
addressed a particular problem in the Corinthian church.
So, going back to the original problem of the questions posed earlier
by Marilyn Smith, the most probable conclusion is that 1 Corinthians
14:34-35 does not forbid all vocal, audible participation in the church by
women for all time.
Conclusion
These verses pose a great number of difficulties with which scholars
continue to wrestle. As we try to discern the intent of Paul’s instructions,
the conclusion that seems most consistent with the rest of his teaching is
that this prohibition was against talking during the service, and specifically
addressed a problem in the Corinthian church. To make the claim that it
literally prohibits women from making any audible sounds in the church
raises more difficulties and is inconsistent with the rest of Paul’s teaching.
1) Which of the three options posed by Marilyn Smith on page 49 do you
think best explains the difficulties of Paul’s instructions? Why?
50
2) Look at 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 again. In this passage, Paul talks about

how women and men should prophesy and pray. Discuss whether or
not Paul would have written these instructions or not if he were plan-
ning to forbid women from prophesying and praying in the church.
3) Let’s take a closer look at some of these apparent contradictions. Look

again at 1 Corinthians 14:26-40. Which subgroups of people was Paul
addressing within the Corinthian church?
4) Next, what instructions did he give to those who speak in tongues? Did
his instruction apply to both men and women?
5) What instructions did he give to those who prophesy? Did his instruc-
tion apply to both men and women?
6) What instructions did he give to women?
51
7) It is not evident from the English translations, but Paul used the same
Greek word (sigaō) in the instructions to all three groups. Sigaō signi-
fies a voluntary silence. (See the sidebar on page 48 for more details.)
Is there anything significant about the fact that the word signifies a
voluntary silence?
8) Look at 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 again. Taking these verses literally leads

us to a series of important questions: How can a woman worship in
silence? How can she sing, pray, praise God, give testimony, or make
a prayer request? What would be the point of women assembling to
worship if they must be silent and can’t worship?

Read 1 Timothy 2:8-15. Look up the passage in different translations.
Write verses 11 and 12 down from as many translations as you have avail-
able. Bring them to the group study.
Endnotes
2. Sandford D. Hull, “Appendix II: Exegetical Difficulties in the ‘Hard Passages’ ” in
Equal to Serve by Gretchen Gaebelein Hull (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), 251-266.
3. For a review of these arguments, see Hull, 266, referencing C.K. Barrett The First
Epistle to Corinthians, Hendrickson Publishers, 1993. See also Andrew Perriman, Speaking
of Women (London: Apollos, 1998), 104-105.
4. D. A. Carson, “ ‘Silent in the Churches’: On the Role of Women in 1 Corinthians
14:33b-36,” in Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, J. Piper and W. Grudem eds.
(Wheaton: Crossway), 151.
52
5. Perriman, 109.
6. Ibid, 110-111.
7. Smith, 35.
53
S E S S I O N S EV E N
Paul’s Instructions for the Church in Ephesus
T he goal of this session is to present an overview of Paul’s teaching

in 1 Timothy 2:8-15. This passage is frequently used to prevent
women from taking any position in a church that would be perceived as
“exercising authority over” any man. The goal of this session is to examine
this passage and to show that Paul probably did not intend to universally
prohibit women from ministry roles within the church, but that his in-
structions were most likely tied to the cultural problems of the church that
Timothy was pastoring.
In Preparation Read
• 1 Timothy 2:8-15
• Look up the passage in different translations. Write verses 11 and 12
down from as many translations as you have available.
Background
As always, we need to begin by examining the context of these verses.
Timothy was a young pastor in the church at Ephesus, a church that Paul
had started. Paul was his mentor and called Timothy “my true son in the
faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). Paul, traveling in Macedonia, sent letters of instruc-
55
tion and encouragement to Timothy in order to continue the mentoring

relationship.
In 1 Timothy 3:14-15, Paul explicitly states why he wrote this letter:
“I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so
that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household
of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the
truth” (italics added).
The Ephesian church was, like any church, influenced by its surround-
ing culture. The word “syncretism” applies well here: the blending of pagan
and Christian ideas into a new form of religion or worship practice. The
two main problems confronting the church at Ephesus were false teaching
(1 Timothy 1:3-20) and lifestyle issues (1 Timothy 2:8-15), both of which
were directly related to the surrounding culture.1
The problem of immorality was caused by men who used prayer as a
pretext to quarrel and show their anger against others. They were praying
with impure motives. In addition, women were coming to church dressed in
a way that indicated or implied an immoral lifestyle—or at least a misguided
and culturally disrespectful approach to life and morality. These women were
likely converts to Christianity, and may not have received instruction about
their clothing and the fact that it sent the wrong message about Christianity.
They may or may not have been still engaged in an immoral lifestyle, but
their clothes communicated that they were. Or, perhaps these women, with
their newfound freedom in Christ, were throwing off traditional cultural
restraints regarding their dress and hairstyles. Paul was addressing these
problems when he wrote to Timothy.
At Issue
Similar to the passage in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 that we studied in
the previous session, the words in English translations of 1 Timothy 2:8-
15 seem unambiguous: Paul does not allow women to teach, to exercise
authority over men, and that they must remain silent. However, reading
it that way creates many problems and presupposes conclusions to which
the text may not point.
First, as with the 1 Corinthians passage, to read 1 Timothy 2:8-15 as
56
Paul ’s I nstruc tions for the Church in E p h e s u s
not allowing women to teach or exercise authority over men is to read it in

a way that is not consistent with Paul’s other teachings and actual practice
in regard to women in the church. Second, the actual meanings of the words
are also problematic. A quick review of the various translations reveals a wide
variety of understandings about how to best translate this passage.
Scholars point out that there are many interpretive problems associated
with the Greek text of 1 Timothy 2:11-15, which makes this a problematic
passage on many levels. “The number of interpretive decisions that have
to be made [regarding 1 Timothy 2:11-15] is quite overwhelming. Few
laypeople today are aware of this unless their translation alerts them via
footnotes. Unfortunately, very few translations do this.”2 See, for example,
the list in the sidebar below.
One of the major issues is the Greek word authentein, which is most
frequently translated “to have authority over.” Why is this a problem? Because
SANFORD D. HULL lists some of the exegetical difficulties associated

with 1 Timothy 2:8-15. He lists several competing or alternative views
to each one of the following questions, a fact that demonstrates the dif-
ficulty of this passage.
1) Where does the paragraph begin?
2) What does Paul mean in verse 8 by “holy hands”?
3) What is the meaning of dialogismou (“argument” in NRSV, “disputing”
in TNIV) in verse 8?
4) What is the connection between verses 8 and 9?
5) Is Paul referring in verses 11 and 12 to wives or women in general?
6) What does the word hēsuchia (“silence” in NRSV, “quietness” in TNIV)
signify in verse 11?
7) To whom or what does verse 11 tell women/wives to submit?
8) What is the force of ouk epitrepō (“I permit no” in NRSV, “I do not per-
mit” in TNIV) in verse 12?
9) What does Paul mean in verse 12 by “teach” (didaskein)?
10) What is the precise meaning of authentein (“have authority” in NRSV,
“assume authority” in TNIV) in verse 12?
11) Is “a man” the object of “to teach” as well as “to have authority over”?
Continued on following page.
57
Continued from previous page.
12) Is Paul prohibiting one or two things in verse 12?

13) What is the place of verses 13-14 in Paul’s argument?
14) What is the force of the preposition gar (“for” in NRSV and TNIV) in
verse 13?
15) What is the point of verse 13?
16) What kind of formation does eplasthē (“was formed” in NRSV and
TNIV) signify in verse 13?
17) What is the point of verse 14?
18) What does verse 15 mean?
19) What does the verb sōzō (“save”) mean in this context?
20) What is the force of the preposition dia (“through” in NRSV and TNIV)
in verse 15?
21) What is the meaning of teknogonia (“childbearing” in NRSV and
TNIV)?
22) What is the force of the definite article tēs (“the”), which precedes
teknogonia in the Greek text?
23) Why is the verb “reman” (meinōsin) plural in verse 15?
24) Where does the paragraph end?
25) What problem is Paul addressing in this passage?
Taken from Sandford D. Hull’s, “Appendix II: Exegetical Difficulties in the ‘Hard Passages’” in Equal to Serve
by Gretchen Gaebelein Hull (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), 259-265.
authentein appears nowhere else in the Bible, and is also rare in secular Greek
literature,3 which means there is no agreement on its actual meaning. (The
Greek word used elsewhere in the New Testament for “authority” is exousia.)
Consequently, it is highly debated as to what it really does mean, although
many suggest that “to domineer” may be the best way of understanding it.
But even that brings up other questions: for example, is it always thoroughly
negative, or only when women do it?
Learn to Learn
One of the easiest points to agree on is that this passage teaches that
women should learn. As Marilyn Smith says, “The message is that women
need to learn because lack of learning leads to deception. Anyone who has
58
not been taught can be deceived and anyone who is easily deceived certainly
should not teach.”4 While Paul’s assertion that “women should learn” hardly
seems notable to us, it is striking when considered in light of the cultural
context. Remember, Paul was writing at a time when women were not
usually educated at all. Ancient Mediterranean (Jewish and Greek) customs
separating women from the public sphere made it difficult for women to
learn.5 As John Temple Bristow explains, Paul’s teaching here was “both
radical in thought and difficult in execution.”6 It appears that Paul wanted
women to learn to learn—that is, because women weren’t accustomed to
learning, they needed to learn to be quiet and submissive while receiving
instruction rather than being argumentative or disruptive. It appears that
the primary problem with which Paul was concerned was the false teach-
ing that had crept into the church. As a consequence of this concern, Paul
didn’t want women to teach until they had learned first.7
Aida Besançon Spencer makes the point that “Paul’s exhortations con-
tradicted the first-century Jewish practices which did not encourage women
to become educated because then their homemaking would take a lower
priority. Rather, Paul was equalizing the relationship between men and
women. The women, as the men, were to learn. The men, as the women,
were to be concerned for their children (1 Timothy 3:4-5, 12; 5:14; Titus
1:6; 2:4).”8
Understanding Authentein
In the sentence, “I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over
a man” (1 Timothy 2:12), Paul didn’t use exousia, the Greek word that is
usually used in the New Testament to mean “authority.” He used authentein
instead. This makes understanding the text problematic, because, as men-
tioned above, the word is very unusual in Greek and not used anywhere else
in the Bible. This fact indicates that it had a meaning different from exousia
and that Paul was focusing attention on that unique usage.
While there is no universal consensus on the meaning of authentein,
many scholars believe that translating it as “to domineer,” may be the closest
match in meaning,9 and there is indication that the word has strongly nega-
tive connotations. In other words, it didn’t merely mean “to have authority
59
over” (exousia)—rather, it implied something more vicious. For example,

according to Spencer, “In contemporary Greek society, [authentein] signifies
‘to commit a murder,’ ‘to kill with one’s own hand either others or one-
self.’ ...Thus authentein signifies ‘to domineer’ or ‘to have absolute power
over’ persons in such a way as to destroy them.”10
To get an idea of how complex the alternatives are in interpreting
authentein in this passage, see Andrew Perriman’s lengthy and worthwhile
discussion.11 Perriman concludes that “Paul’s overriding concern in 1 Timo-
thy 2:11-15 is to ensure that women in the church are not led astray by
false teachers, that they learn in submission to the authority of God’s Word,
and, somewhat incidentally, that they should not be put in a position where
they might mislead others.”12
Just as Jesus negated traditional, domineering ideas about leadership and
promoted a servant-like leadership style instead, so Paul seems to be doing
the same thing here. While Paul is concerned about women domineering men
in this passage, he certainly is not teaching the converse: that men should
domineer over women. “What women are denied in v. 12, especially if the
word meant to domineer or usurp authority—was already explicitly denied
to men by Jesus (Mark 10:42-43).”13 (See sidebar below.)
For All Times?

As mentioned earlier, for Paul to teach that women are not to be in
any position of leadership in the church is inconsistent with Paul’s other
teachings and actual practice in regard to women in the church. When un-
derstood in light of the cultural context, we learn that Paul was concerned
“SO JESUS CALLED THEM and said to them, ‘You know that among the
Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and
their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but
whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and
whoever wants to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of
Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for
many.’ ” —Mark 10:42-45
60
about false teachings, which led him to be concerned that a teacher, male
or female, learn first before becoming a teacher, and in order to do so they
had to learn to learn. To use these passages to prevent women from holding
any leadership positions in the church for all times is to apply these verses
literally, while selectively ignoring the passages that teach something differ-
ent.14 That is not an honest interpretive practice.
“FOR IN CHRIST JESUS you are all children of God through faith. As
many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with
Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free,
there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
—Galatians 3:26-28
Conclusion
Paul’s bold statement in Galatians 3:26-28 “held the record as the most
powerfully egalitarian proclamation in Christianity, Western literature and
(probably) world culture. In this verse, Paul directly countered the notion
that race, class, or gender had any meaning before God.”15 The gospel Paul
preached was a whole and consistent gospel; therefore, we must seek to
harmonize all of Paul’s teachings or we run the risk of corrupting the very
message Paul tried to preach.
1) If you could meet the Apostle Paul face to face, what questions would
you ask him?
61
2) If Paul was concerned that women be taught, what implications does

this have for your church?
3) If Paul were to write a letter to your church or your pastor, what issues
might he be concerned about? Would those issues be of concern for all
churches for all times, or just a concern for your particular church at
this particular time?
4) Some have accused the Apostle Paul of being a “chauvinist.” Do you

think he deserves that label?

Read Matthew 19:29; 26:6-13; 27:55-56, 61; 28:16-20, Mark 5:21-43;
10:11-12; 15:40-41, 47; Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28; 13:10-17; 22:24-30;
24:10-11; John 4:7-42; 11:2-45; 12:1-8; 13:13-17; 19:25; Acts 2:1-21,
1 Corinthians 12; 14:31; Galatians 5:13; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians
2:3-11; and 1 Peter 5:2-3
Endnotes
2. Linda Belleville, Women Leaders and the Church (Grand Rapids: Baker House, 2000),
163-165. On these pages, Belleville also lists major interpretive decisions related to this
passage.
62

5. Smith, 40.
6. John Temple Bristow, What Paul Really Said about Women (Harper SanFrancisco,
1991), 70.
7. Smith, 41.
8. Aida Besançon Spencer, Beyond the Curse (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1989), 81.
9. Catherine Kroeger and Richard Kroeger, I Suffer Not a Woman (Grand Rapids: Baker
Books, 1994).
10. Spencer, 87.
11. Andrew Perriman, Speaking of Women: Interpreting Paul (London: Apollos, 1998),
136-173.
12. Ibid, 173.
13. Carrie A. Miles and Laurence R. Iannacone with Linda Ikeda. Male and Female in
Christ (Carrie A. Miles, 2000), 100.
15. Miles, Iannacone, with Ikeda, 66.
63
UNIT FOUR
A New Vision for Ministry

SESSION EIGHT
The New Testament Model for Ministry
I n Session 4, we saw that Jesus approached women in a radical new

way. In Sessions 5, 6, and 7, we studied the Pauline passages that
frequently get interpreted in a way that restricts women’s roles in ministry.
Now, in Session 8, we return to the theme that Jesus ushered in a new para-
digm. Because this is such an important idea, we look again at how Jesus
treated women. We also look at two other concepts: the New Testament
writers introduced the idea of mutual submission and reintroduced the idea
of the priesthood of all believers, a revolutionary new way of accessing God
that was predicted in the Old Testament.
In Preparation Read
• Matthew 19:29; 26:6-13; 27:55-56, 61; 28:16-20
• Mark 5:21-43; 10:11-12; 15:40-41, 47
• Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28; 13:10-17; 22:24-30; 24:10-11
• John 4:7-42; 11:2-45; 12:1-8; 13:13-17; 19:25
• Acts 2:1-21
• 1 Corinthians 12; 14:31
• Galatians 5:13
• Ephesians 4:11-16
67
A New Vision for M inistr y
• Philippians 2:3-11
• 1 Peter 5:2-3
The Jesus Paradigm and Redemption

Have you ever noticed that Jesus did many of the things that Jewish
tradition prohibited? For example, he touched lepers, spoke to women, and
consorted with tax-gatherers—actions that challenged the prevailing preju-
dices.1 That’s one of the reasons that Jesus infuriated the religious leaders of
that day. They had worked very hard to achieve “holiness” by not associating
with all the supposedly “unclean” people, and then Jesus came along and
undid everything they believed in. He showed that holiness, that is, access
to God, has nothing to do with staying away from other people, or being
better than them.
In particular, Jesus saw women as persons of equal worth to men and
rejected existing practices that devalued women. This pattern is evident in
his teachings (he uses examples of women as well as men) and his actions
(in clear violation of Jewish tradition, Jesus invited both men and women
to receive theological and spiritual instruction from him).
Jesus also taught and practiced servant leadership and the empower-
ment of others. According to Jesus, leadership is about servanthood, not
authority. Passages in the Gospels such as Luke 22:24-30 and John 13:13-17
record Jesus’ teaching on this subject and show that Jesus ushered in a new
paradigm that ran counter to the existing culture of hierarchical systems
and authority.
Most importantly, Jesus Christ came to fully redeem all people, women
as well as men. Paul emphasizes that all who believe in Christ are redeemed
from sin and become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 1:22).
Not only do we who believe become the children of God, and equal heirs,
but we also become one in Christ. These blessings come through our faith
in Christ, independent of our racial, social, physical, or gender distinctions
(John 1:12-13; Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 3:26-28).
68
The New Testament M odel for M i n i s t r y
The Great Commission and How We Fulfill It

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gives what has become known as the great
commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”
These verses present the essence of what our purpose, as believers, is
during our life on earth. This commission should be our major preoccupa-
tion in life. But how do we carry it out? It is too huge a task for any one
individual. Obviously, we must work together in order to accomplish the
great commission. How do we do that?
Jesus gave the Nike™ command (“Just do it.”) and the remainder of the
New Testament provides more information about how we are to do it. In
order to carry out the great commission, we, as individuals, need encourage-
ment, teaching, and loving support from other believers. The New Testament
provides a model for how we are to do this—how we, as believers, should
gather together for fellowship. In order to carry out the great commission,
we also need special abilities—abilities that the Bible calls spiritual gifts.
Spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to serve others, to build the body of
Christ, and to fulfill the great commission (see 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians
4:11-16; Philippians 2:3-11; Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 5:2-3).
We get these abilities through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. At
Pentecost, the Holy Spirit filled both women and men alike, with no
distinction made on any basis. As we read the verses about this event
(Acts 2:1-21; 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11; 14:31), it is clear that the Holy
Spirit distributes gifts without regard to what the world would do.
If you recall from Session 4, women, having received the gifts of the Holy
Spirit, were involved in all ministry positions and activities, including
apostles (Romans 16:7); prophetic speaking (Acts 1:14; 2:15-18; 21:9;
1 Corinthians 11:5,10); serving as ministers, leaders, elders or governors
(Romans 16:1); coworkers (Philippians 4:2-3; Romans 16:3-5; Acts 18:2,
18-19); and gifted teachers who instructed men (Acts 18:24-26).
69
Mutuality
As we look at the New Testament model for the church, it is clear that
God intended us to live in community. This is a profound statement when
we contrast real community with the traits of individualism and indepen-
dence that dominate our culture. True community can only happen when
the individuals involved start eradicating the things that separate them
from each other.
Paul’s teaching, in Ephesians 5:21, “Be subject to one another out of
reverence for Christ,” is just one example of a revolutionary new under-
standing of what life in the Spirit means for Christians. As Klyne Snodgrass
points out,
It is important to note that this text does not ask some Christians
to submit to other Christians. It asks all Christians to submit to
each other. No privileged group is in view. Submission is a crucial
ingredient in Christian living (this theme is central in 1 Peter).
Christians in Corinth were asked to submit to workers who had
made themselves servants to the church (1 Corinthians 16:16)—
they were to submit to servants! Prophets were to submit to other
prophets to whom revelation came (14:32). Submission was so
important for New Testament writers because it described the self-
giving love, humility, and willingness to die that are demanded of all
Christians. For example, in Philippians 2:3, Paul rejects selfishness
and asks that in humility people consider others as “surpassing”
themselves. In the verses that follow he shows how Christ himself
modeled such a life (cf. Rom. 12:3; Gal. 5:13). . . . Christians are
called to live in mutual submission and without mutual submission
they cannot fulfill their destiny.2
Both Paul and Peter implore believers to submit to one another—that

is, mutual submission. That’s a radical idea! What did they mean? Patricia
Gundry notes that, “Mutual submission is a way of living, an attitude
toward others. It is something one does because one wants to, not because
one has to…. [Ephesians 5:21] steps out to meet us with this curious gentle
70
suggestion on how we can relate to each other in a ‘filled-with-the Spirit’

way—by submitting ourselves to one another in the fear of God.”3 Gundry
also emphasizes that this idea of mutual submission “was a principle given
to guide relationships between all believers. The verses following verse 21
tell how to work it out in three of the most unequal relationships in the
society of that day.”4
The Priesthood of All Believers

God told Moses that the Israelites “shall be for me a priestly kingdom
and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Old Testament prophets predicted a time
when “You shall be called priests of the Lord, you shall be named ministers
of our God” (Isaiah 61:6), and a time when God’s Spirit would be poured
out on all believers, both young and old, men and women (Joel 2:28-29).
In the New Testament, Peter wrote “like living stones, let yourselves
be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). He also
wrote, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s
own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who
called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
This idea that believers are priests is confirmed again in Revelation,
where it is repeatedly declared that all those who believe in Christ will be
priests: “To him who...made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God
and Father” (1:5-6); “you have made them to be a kingdom and priests
serving our God” (5:10); and “they will be priests of God and of Christ,
and they will reign with him a thousand years” (20:6).
The nouns and pronouns in all these verses are all inclusive. In other
words, there is no grammatical indication that this priesthood would be
male only, or only from the tribe of Levites. These nouns and pronouns
refer to all God’s people!
Conclusion
Being called to mutual submission and being taught to live in com-
munity, to abandon divisions and status and hierarchy, is as radical today
as it was when first-century Christians were beginning to worship together
71
as a church. It’s no wonder they needed so many letters of encouragement

and correction. It is too easy to go back to the world’s way of thinking that
someone has to be in charge, and to create new hierarchies. The egalitarian
position is firmly rooted in the “new” paradigm—the Jesus paradigm of
redemption, and the paradigm of letting people serve according to their
gifts, not their gender or status; the paradigm in which all God’s people
are priests.
1) What are the qualities of a leader? What does “leadership” mean? What
does “servant leadership” mean?
2) What is the relationship between authority and leadership?
3) Can you find any evidence in the Bible that the Holy Spirit gives gifts
according to our biological sex (i.e., that men get certain gifts and
women get other ones)?
4) Is there any evidence in the Bible that only men are supposed to carry
out the great commission?
72
5) Read 1 Peter 4:10-11. Are both men and women called to be faith-
ful managers of the gifts that have been freely given to them? Or just
men?
6) Based on the examples in the preceding paragraphs, what can you

conclude about spiritual authority?
7) Read Acts 2:42-47. Is the church that is described in this passage dif-
ferent from your church? How?
8) What types of attitudes, lifestyles, or behaviors separate us or keep us

isolated from other people and prevent us from living in real Christian
community as the believers described in Acts 2 did?
9) Discuss mutual submission. What does it really mean? What does the
term “mutuality” mean?
73
10) Does mutual submission seem normal or foreign to you? Can you think
of examples in your own life where you live in mutual submission? Can
you think of examples in your own life where you should do it, but don’t?
Ask the group for help in discerning how you might apply it to real-life
situations with which you are having difficulty. Is mutuality possible?
What would it be like to voluntarily submit yourself to another church
member? What would it feel like to have someone say, “I submit to
you”?
11) The verses in Peter address the believers in the New Testament church,
as well as all subsequent believers. What does it mean that we are
“a chosen people, a royal priesthood”?
12) What does this mean for you personally? Have you ever thought of
yourself as a priest before?
13) How can you apply this concept in your own church?
74
14) Does understanding that we are all priests put the idea of mutual sub-
mission in a new light?
For Reflection
How are you going to move forward in fulfilling the great commis-
sion now that you’ve learned more about how and why God gives gifts
to individual believers? How are you going to move forward in mutual
submission?
Endnotes
1. This theme is presented in greater depth in the other study guide in this suite called,
All God’s People, by John E. Phelan Jr.
2. Klyne Snodgrass, The NIV Application Commentary: Ephesians (Grand Rapids: Zonder-
van, 1996) 292.
3. Patricia Gundry, Heirs Together (Suitcase Books, 1993), 94-95.
4. Ibid, 95.
75
SESSION NINE
Applying the Liberating Message of the Gospel

in the Local Church
T here are many ways to apply the principles of gender equality in

the local church. Most denominations have policy statements
that either directly address this issue or reveal the denomination’s attitude.
If you are unfamiliar with your own church or denomination’s policy, do
a little research to find out more. Many denominations make their policy
papers available on their websites.
There are many other resources (see the Recommended Reading
list) to help you in your quest to introduce these principles to your local
congregation.
The rest of this session, excluding the discussion questions, is excerpted
from the booklet Called and Gifted and was prepared by the Commission
on Biblical Gender Equality of the Evangelical Covenant Church. It is an
example of how one denomination has taken a stand on this issue.
What does the Evangelical Covenant Church believe about women in

pastoral roles and other ministry and leadership positions within the
church?
The Evangelical Covenant Church affirms women in all ministry and
leadership positions within the church, both lay and clergy. We believe that
77
the biblical basis for service in the body of Christ is giftedness, a call from
God, and godly character—not gender.
What is the biblical basis for this position?

We believe in the Holy Scriptures, the Old and the New Testaments, as
the word of God and the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct.
Our tradition, therefore, has always been to ask, “Where is it written?”
on matters of faith, doctrine, and conduct. Our position on women in
ministry flows from our high view of Scripture and is not derived from
cultural or societal trends. We believe that “women ought to minister not
because society says so but because the Bible leads the Church to such a
conclusion.”1
There are several interpretive frameworks through which people arrive
at their conclusions about the subject of women in ministry. This document
unpacks the interpretive framework through which the Covenant arrives
at its position. We invite those who are in agreement, those who are still
searching, and those who disagree to look through the same window with
us to see what we see. This document outlines, from creation through
redemption, the biblical basis for our position and reflects our conviction
that the Bible, in its totality, is the liberating word.
Creation. From the beginning, the Bible reveals God’s plan for human
beings as one of community, unity, equality, and shared responsibility.
Both men and women were created in God’s image, and God initiated
a relationship with both, without preference for one or the other. In
addition, God charged both women and men equally with the blessings
and responsibilities of childrearing and dominion over the created order
(Genesis 1:26-28; 5:1-2).
The fact that both men and women were created in God’s image is
particularly significant. God’s plan for community and unity was based
on the equality of the human beings God had created and on their equal
participation and full partnership. The Hebrew words 'ezer knegdo are used
as a descriptor for woman in Genesis 2:18. 'Ezer is frequently translated as
“helper,” which some have come to interpret or understand as an inferior
or one in a supporting role. Unlike the English word “helper,” the Hebrew
78
Ap plying the Liberating M essage of the G ospel i n t h e Lo c a l C h u rc h
'ezer implies no inferiority; in fact, this word most frequently refers to God
in the Old Testament, meaning protector or rescuer.2
Its modifier, knegdo, means “suitable,” “face to face,” “equivalent to,”
or “visible,” and indicates that God created an equivalent human being to
be a good companion for man. This rules out authority and subordination
for either man or woman.
Some would argue that the fact that woman was formed from man creates
both preeminence and authority for the man. There is nothing in the text
that supports this interpretation. Rather, the text emphasizes that man was
incomplete, and God kindly created for him a suitable companion (Genesis
2:21-23). God’s loving act to alleviate man’s loneliness did not produce an
inferior being; rather God created an equivalent human, underscoring the
unity and equality of all human beings.
Finally, some point out that the Bible frequently refers to God as male.
Four points should be made concerning this matter.
• First, the Bible affirms that God is spirit (John 4:24) and has no
body or biological sex, as we do.
• Second, while the Bible often refers to God as male, this is the lan-
guage of comparison, employing simile and metaphor. We should
remember that Scripture refers to God as a rock and a fortress (Psalm
31:2-3); Jesus refers to himself as a mother hen (Luke 13:34); and
God refers to himself as rot and a festering sore (Hosea 5:12). These
are examples of God condescending to explain himself by comparison
to forms we can understand. Yet these descriptions do not alter the
basic teaching that God is spirit.
• Third, the limits of human language limit our understanding. Most
languages do not have a neutral-gender pronoun (e.g., “it”) that can
successfully refer to a higher-order animate being (e.g., a human) let
alone a deity, even if that deity is perceived to be without biologi-
cal sex or gender. The lack of appropriate terminology limits our
ability to apprehend phenomena that is normally outside the range
of human experience. Lacking appropriate pronouns for God, we
substitute male pronouns, with the result that they sometimes shape
79
our perception of God in unintended ways, even while serving to

make God more personal.
• Finally, in Jesus, God assumed particularity. That is, Jesus was a
male Palestinian Jew. Yet neither his Jewishness nor his maleness
is meant to be a standard used to exclude Gentiles or women from
full participation in the Christian community. The New Testament
affirms that in this particularity Jesus becomes the one for all, the
one who draws all to him (John 12:32).3 It was on this issue that
Paul opposed Peter (Cephas) at Antioch when Peter withdrew from
fellowship with Gentile believers (Galatians 2:11-14). Paul believed
that the truth of the gospel is that old distinctions and divisions ought
to have no power or efficacy in Christ. The old, said Paul, has passed
away. The new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Effects of Sin. Sin entered the world through both the man and the
woman. They were co-participants in the fall, and are equally culpable
(Genesis 3:6; Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
One of the key results of sin was—and continues to be—the break in
unity and fellowship between humans and God, as well as between Adam
and Eve. As a result of sin, Adam began to rule over Eve (Genesis 3:16).
This hierarchy is an unwanted result of sin and is not God’s prescription. It
violates God’s original plan for unity, equality, fellowship, and community.
When in discussion with the authorities concerning the law of Moses, Jesus
laid down the principle that the standard is the original intention of God
found in Genesis 1 and 2 (Matthew 19:3-9).
Another unwelcome result of sin was the corruption of the ensuing
culture, which led to hostilities among people and culminated in the
oppression and exclusion of those considered to be weaker classes: the poor,
the sick, women, the unclean. The Old Testament records these customs, as
well as the longing for the day when all creation would be redeemed. The
redemption would include the elimination of barriers and reconciliation
between former enemies. Isaiah prophesies, “The wolf shall live with the
lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the
fatling together, and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6). The Old
80
Testament prophets foretold the Messiah as the one who would bring about
a feast for all people; would heal the blind, the deaf, and the lame; would
proclaim release to the captives and freedom for the oppressed (Isaiah 61).
It is significant that Luke 4:16-21 records Jesus quoting this very passage
before announcing that in him it is fulfilled.
Additionally, the prophets pointed to a time when “You shall be called
priests of the Lord, you shall be named ministers of our God” (Isaiah 61:6),
and to a time when God’s Spirit would be poured out on all believers (Joel
2:28-29), both young and old, men and women. This was later confirmed
when Peter wrote, “like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual
house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to
God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5), and “you are a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may
proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). This is confirmed again in Revelation, where
it is repeatedly declared that all those who believe in Christ will be priests:
“To him who. . . made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and
Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever” (Revelation 1:5-
6); “you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God . . .”
(Revelation 5:10); and “ . . . they will be priests of God and of Christ . . .”
(Revelation 20:6).
The hierarchical, divisive, and patriarchal customs that developed
are not God’s ideal order. God’s ideal order, plainly stated through the
prophecies about the Messiah, is one of healing and reconciliation. God’s
ideal order eliminates the effects of sin, including class divisions, hierarchy,
and oppression. It restores the original unity, fellowship, and community
between God and humans, and between men and women. It re-establishes
the God-designed equality of women and men.
The Jesus Paradigm and Redemption. During Christ’s life, he exhibited

in his teaching and practices the very qualities that were prophesied: he
touched lepers, spoke to women, and consorted with tax-gatherers. By doing
so, Jesus modeled the new kingdom and challenged the prevailing sexist
and divisive prejudices, tearing down the divisions and restrictions that
81
had arisen as the result of sin. Jesus saw women as persons of equal worth
to men and rejected existing practices that devalued women (see Matthew
19:29; 26:6-13; 27:55-56, 61; Mark 5:21-43; 10:11-12; 15:40-41, 47; Luke
10:38-42; 11:27-28; 13:10-17; 24:10-11; John 4:7-42; 11:2-45; 12:1-8;
19:25). This pattern is evident in his teachings (a woman plays the role of
God in the parable of the lost coin) and his actions (in clear violation of
Jewish tradition, Jesus invited both men and women to receive theological
and spiritual instruction from him).
Jesus also taught and practiced servant leadership and the empowerment
of others. According to Jesus, leadership is about servanthood, not authority.
Passages in the Gospels such as Luke 22:24-30 and John 13:13-17 record
Jesus’ teaching on this subject and show that Jesus ushered in a paradigm
that was counter to the existing culture of hierarchical systems and authority.
The remainder of the New Testament continues this teaching of servant
leadership, emphasizing that spiritual gifts are given to serve others and
build the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians
2:3-11; Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 5:2-3).
Most importantly, Jesus Christ came to fully redeem all people,
women as well as men. Paul emphasizes that all who believe in Christ are
redeemed from sin and become new creations. Not only do we who believe
become the children of God, and equal heirs, but we also become one in
Christ. These blessings come through our faith in Christ, independent of
our racial, social, physical, or gender distinctions (John 1:12-13; Romans
8:14-17; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 3:26-28).
In the world, characteristics such as “maleness” or “femaleness” function
as primary markers of personal definition and are used to assign rank, status,
and worth. In Christ, we are instead defined by being a new creation in
Christ. As a result of becoming a new creation, a believer’s primary identity
is his or her new life in Christ. Our old identities—those of gender, race,
or social class—become secondary to our true identity in Christ. In our
culture, like that of Jesus and Paul, maleness and femaleness matter. But
our beliefs and practices ought not to be determined by earthly cultures, as
our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).
The domination of one group by another group is one of the effects of sin
82
that Jesus came to abolish. In its stead the New Testament affirms Christian
community as marked by mutual interdependence, where differences are
not to be of any advantage or disadvantage (Galatians 3:28). The result is
a new community with new kingdom realities. For believers to continue
subordinating other humans is contrary to our new identities in Christ
and contrary to the new kingdom community. We can choose to model
the coming eschatological community (Thy kingdom come, on earth as
it is in heaven), or we can choose a hierarchical model conformed to this
sinful world.
The New Kingdom and the Church as a Fellowship of Believers. The

New Testament gives a model for the fellowship of believers. At Pentecost,
the Holy Spirit filled both women and men alike, with no distinction made
on any basis. The Holy Spirit is sovereign and distributes gifts without
preference and without regard to the strictures of a fallen world (Acts 2:1-
21; 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11; 14:31).
As a result of this unbiased indwelling of the Holy Spirit, women were
involved in all ministry positions and activities, including apostles (Romans
16:7); prophetic speaking (Acts 1:14; 2:15-18; 21:9; 1 Corinthians 11:5, 10);
serving as ministers, leaders, elders, or governors (Romans 16:1); coworkers
(Philippians 4:2-3; Romans 16:3-5; Acts 18:2, 18-19); and gifted teachers
who instructed men (Acts 18:24-26).
The Bible also teaches that after Pentecost, both women and men
receive spiritual gifts without regard to their gender, both are called to
exercise and develop these spiritual gifts, and both are called to be faithful
managers of those gifts that have been freely given to them (1 Peter 4:10-
11). Both men and women are to use these divine gifts to serve one another
without restriction (Acts 1:14, 8:4, 21:8-9; Romans 16:1-7, 12-13, 15;
1 Corinthians 12; Philippians 4:2-3; Colossians 4:15).
Based on these examples, we conclude that spiritual authority comes
from God and is not determined by our gender. Authority is a spiritual
function not a function based on our physical attributes. The result of
ministering to one another according to our spiritual gifts is that the church
becomes a true fellowship of believers characterized by mutual participation
83
in and sharing of the new life in Christ.
How does the church understand biblical passages that seem to re-
strict women’s ministry in the church?
There are passages that seem to advocate a restrictive view of women and
their place within the Christian community, such as 1 Corinthians 11:2-16;
14:34-35; and 1 Timothy 2:9-15. To ignore any of the passages relevant to
this issue is to damage the integrity of the biblical witness and to abdicate
our responsibility to be biblical people. However, these passages, though not
entirely clear, must not be interpreted in a way that contradicts the rest of
Scripture. Space allows only summary consideration of these texts.4
First Corinthians 11:2-16 is among the most obtuse passages in the
New Testament, yet its main instructions are sufficiently clear. Paul offers
instruction on the decorum of those who pray and prophesy. To “prophesy”
in the Bible is to speak God’s word. Most often this takes the form of cogent
teaching delivered to the faithful at the behest of the Holy Spirit.5 This is
the case in 1 Corinthians, where the term “prophecy” is aimed at instruction
and exhortation (14:31).
It is worth noting that the New Testament identifies men (Silas in Acts
15:32) and women (the four daughters of Philip in Acts 21:9) with the role
of prophet. The combination of “pray” and “prophesy” suggests that Paul
is referring to public leadership and instruction of the saints. Paul asserts
the clear teaching of “nature” is that women should have their heads cov-
ered while men should be bareheaded when praying and prophesying. He
then claims that women should have their heads covered because of the
angels, and because man is the image of God, while woman is the image
of man.
While the meanings of the allusions to nature, angels, and creation are
difficult to discern, the central issue in the passage is not. The question is
how women should conduct themselves while they pray and prophesy, not
whether or not they should pray and prophesy.
Paul’s argument about nature appears not to reference the created order
(after all, Genesis 1 asserts that male and female together are the image
of God, and as a Jew, Paul was aware of the vow mentioned in Numbers
84
6:1-7 by which men did not cut their hair but allowed it to grow long),
but rather the then common cultural order of Roman civilization. This is
confirmed in verse 11 where the “natural” pattern of gender hierarchy is set
in contradistinction to the very different pattern of the Christian community
in which woman is as essential to man as man is to woman. Similarly, it is
possible that the term “angels” is a symbolic reference to local customs and
culture (see Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14).
Whatever else may be said of this passage, it is clear that Paul believed
the Spirit led both women and men to pray and prophesy. The rub, as with
the discussion of the Eucharist that follows, is that many in the Corinthian
congregation were using the church to pursue their own worldly agenda.
They celebrated the Eucharist in emulation of pagan feasts that reinforced
social status. Paul claimed this practice indicated they had not understood
the leveling effects of the work of Christ: differences exist but are not to be
of any advantage or disadvantage in the body of Christ. Socially pretentious
women at this time chose to go about in public with their heads uncovered
in an attempt to assert social superiority. The point Paul makes here, as with
the Eucharist, is that he will not brook efforts at self-glorification that seek
to use the Christian community to achieve that end.
In 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, Paul writes that women should keep silent
in the churches, that they should be submissive, and that if they want to be
taught, they should ask their husbands at home. At first blush this seems a
rather unbending injunction. However, we must remember that Paul has
already argued that women may pray and prophesy (chapter 11). We should
also not fail to note that Paul has in view not women generally but wives
whose questions about Christian theology and practice have apparently
disturbed the worship service. Paul commends their interest but urges them
to seek instruction at home.
In what is generally regarded as the most restrictive passage in Paul’s
letters, 1 Timothy 2:9-15, Paul claims that he permits no woman to teach
or to have authority. While this passage frequently is used to support the
claim that Paul (or the Bible as a whole) is against women having authority
in matters of Christian faith and practice, this can only be maintained if
1 Corinthians and Romans, among other New Testament documents, are
85
removed from consideration. If Paul did not intend this text as a universal
principle for all cultures at all times, then there is no case for restricting
women in ministry.
How can this be understood? As always, we must look at the historical
context and translation issues. There are several reasonable explanations of
this passage that do not lead to the conclusion that Paul restricts women
for all time.6
First, the word for “authority” (authentein) is rare in Greek literature,
and often means, “to domineer.” This definition makes more sense in the
passage than “authority,” as it explains Paul’s recourse to Genesis: it is not
God’s plan for women to domineer men, after all Eve was not created first
(1 Timothy 2:13-14). It is significant that Paul does not go on to argue
that men, therefore, have the right to domineer women. First Timothy 4:3
and 2 Timothy 3:6-7 indicate certain women in the church at Ephesus had
come under the influence of false teaching. In light of the fact that heresy
was beginning to appear in the church, Paul may be trying to silence the
heresy, not women. For example, his intent may have been to say, “When
women are the source of heresy, they are not allowed to teach,” which is no
different than his silencing of male heretics in Acts 18. It is possible that
Paul is suggesting that these women (i.e., heretical women) should not be
allowed to teach and so to domineer/to have authority.
It is also quite possible, even likely, that Paul is employing a poetic device
parallel to that used in Matthew 6:20 “where thieves do not break in and
steal.” The purpose of the first action is to accomplish the second, that is,
one breaks in with the purpose of stealing. Read in this fashion Paul’s intent
is to say, “I permit no woman to teach if her aim is to domineer.”
One can conclude that it is possible that in these passages Paul offers
injunctions against women in leadership roles within the Christian
community. But, if so, they stand in stark contradiction to other clearly
authoritative passages where Paul strongly supports, expresses appreciation
for, and advocates for women in leadership roles in the church. Since the
totality of Scripture must inform our thinking and practice, and since Paul’s
thought on women and ministry ought to be consistent throughout his
letters, the passages seem to make the most sense when read as suggested
86
above. To claim that Paul did, indeed, intend to restrict women in ministry
for all time and all cultures is to attribute inconsistency to Paul and his
teaching, which creates a greater burden of proof than does our conclusion,
which is as follows:
Based on our examination of the Scriptures as a whole, we humbly
conclude that qualified men and women, whether clergy or lay, are free to
exercise their God-given gifts in all ministry and leadership positions in the
church. As a result, the Evangelical Covenant Church licenses, commissions,
and ordains qualified men and women. We encourage our pastors and
congregations to recognize, develop, encourage, and use the spiritual gifts
of women and men, clergy or lay, in all areas of service, teaching, and
leadership, including preaching and pastoral roles.
Conclusion
We believe that the Bible teaches the full equality of men and women in
creation and in redemption, and we affirm women in all roles and ministry
positions within the church. We recognize that this document cannot answer
all the questions related to this subject, but we hope it will stimulate a desire
to learn more. And we hope it will stimulate us to love one another in the
midst of our quest to live out the new kingdom realities.
1) Earlier, we talked about paradigm. On what paradigm is this session
(the booklet Called and Gifted) based?
2) What does that mean? Is it a valid paradigm?
87
3) How can you apply this document to your church?
4) What paradigms do you feel people in your congregation use regard-

ing Bible interpretation? Regarding the issue of women’s roles in the
church? How easily might they connect with the “redemption” para-
digm?
5) Where is your church in regard to this issue? What is the range of views
held within your church?
6) How consistent is your church in living out what you perceive is its
belief?
7) What are the beliefs, convictions, and experiences that energize your
congregation on this issue?
88
For Reflection
This concludes this study on women’s roles in the church. Reflect on
what you thought about the subject when you started this study and what
you think now. We recommend that you continue the study by going deeper
into Jesus’ ministry as covered in All God’s People by John E. Phelan Jr.
Endnotes
1. Robert Johnston, Jean Lambert, David Scholer, and Klyne Snodgrass, A Biblical and
Theological Basis for Women in Ministry (Chicago: Covenant Publications, 1987).
2. The word 'ezer is used twenty-one times in the Old Testament, and it refers to God
fifteen of those times (Exodus 15:2; 18:4; Deuteronomy 33:7, 26, 29; 1 Kings 7:12;
2 Samuel 22:42; Psalm 9:10; 33:20; 69:6; 89:19-20; and 115:9-11). Because the word 'ezer
so frequently refers to God, it could be interpreted as implying a superior status, except that
its modifier knegdo seems to point to equivalency, not superiority or inferiority. Or, as An-
drew Perriman points out, “What the word defines is not essentially the status of the helper
(the helper may be either superior or inferior), but the condition of the one in need of help.
This is of considerable importance. We cannot conclude from the position of Eve as helper
that she was placed under the authority of man” (Andrew C. Perriman, Speaking of Women:
Interpreting Paul [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, London: Apollos, 1998.] p. 179).
3. The Greek word here, commonly translated “all men,” is pantas, which means simply
“all.”
4. More full-bodied theological discussions are available elsewhere, in particular the
fine articles by Klyne Snodgrass (“ ‘Your Slaves—on Account of Jesus’: Servant Leader-
ship in the New Testament”), Linda Belleville (“Male and Female Leadership Roles in the
New Testament”), and David M. Scholer (“Patterns of Authority in the Early Church”)
in Servant Leadership: Authority and Governance in the Evangelical Covenant Church, v. 1,
Chicago: Covenant Publications, 1993. The discussion here is heavily dependent on Linda
Belleville’s article.
5. Prediction of the future is an important but minor definition of prophecy in the
Bible.
6. Please refer to the attached bibliography for a further reading in this area. Much
scholarship has been done on these passages, and there are many fine books and articles that
elaborate on the hermeneutical ambiguities presented by these texts and more fully develop
the thoughts presented here. Collectively, they present a compelling case that these texts do
not adequately support a traditional hierarchical view of women in ministry.
89
RECOMMENDED READING
I. Books and Booklets

Beck, James R., and Craig L. Blomberg, eds. Two Views on Women in Minis-
try. Counterpoints Series, ed. Stanley N. Gundry. Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
2001.
Belleville, Linda. Women Leaders and the Church: Three Crucial Questions.
Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2000.
Bilezikian, Gilbert. Beyond Sex Roles: What the Bible Says about a Woman’s
Place in Church and Family. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1985.
———. Community 101: Reclaiming the Local Church as Community of
Oneness. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997.
Bristow, John Temple. What Paul Really Said about Women: The Apostle’s
Liberating Views on Equality in Marriage, Leadership, and Love. SanFrancisco:
HarperCollins, 1988.
Bushnell, Katharine C. God’s Word to Women. 1923. Reprint, Peoria, IL:
Cosette McCleave Jolliff and Bernice Martin Menold, n.d.
91
R ecommended R eading
Clouse, Bonnidell, and Robert G. Clouse. Women in Ministry: Four Views.

Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989.
Collier-Thomas, Bettye. Daughters of Thunder: Black Women Preachers and
Their Sermons, 1850-1979. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1997.
Cunningham, Loren, and David Joel Hamilton, with Janice Rogers. Why
Not Women? A Fresh Look at Scripture on Women in Missions, Ministry, and
Leadership. Seattle: YWAM Publishing, 2000.
Evans, Mary J. Woman in the Bible. Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,
1987. Reprint, Carlisle, England: Authentic Media, 2002.
France, R. T. Women in the Church’s Ministry: A Test Case for Biblical Inter-
pretation. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.
Grady, J. Lee. Ten Lies the Church Tells Women: How the Bible Has Been
Misused to Keep Women in Spiritual Bondage. Lake Mary, FL: Creation
House Press, 2000.
Grenz, Stanley J., and Denise Muir Kjesbo. Women in the Church: A Bibli-
cal Theology of Women in Ministry. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,
1995.
Groothuis, Rebecca Merrill. Good News for Women: A Biblical Picture of
Gender Equality. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1997.
Gundry, Patricia. Woman Be Free: Biblical Equality for Women. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1979. Reprint, n.p.: Suitcase Books, 1993.
———. Heirs Together. N.p.: Suitcase Books, 1993.
Hull, Gretchen Gaebelein. Equal to Serve: Women and Men Working Together
Revealing the Gospel. Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell, 1987. Reprint,
Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998.
Johnston, Robert, Jean Lambert, David Scholer, and Klyne Snodgrass. A
Biblical and Theological Basis for Women in Ministry. An Occasional Paper,
no. 1. Chicago: Covenant Publications, 1987.
92
Keener, Craig S. Paul, Women, and Wives: Marriage and Women’s Ministry
in the Letters of Paul. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1992.
Kroeger, Richard Clark, and Catherine Clark Kroeger. I Suffer Not a Woman:
Rethinking 1 Timothy 2:11-15 in Light of Ancient Evidence. Grand Rapids:
Baker Books, 1998.
———. Women Elders...Called by God? Louisville: Women’s Ministry Unit,
Prebyterian Church (USA), 1992.
Martin, Faith. Call Me Blessed: The Emerging Christian Woman. Grand Rap-
ids: Eerdmans, 1988.
McKenzie, Vashti M. Not without a Struggle: Leadership Development for
African American Women in Ministry. Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 1996.
———. Strength in the Struggle: Leadership Development for Women. Cleve-
land: Pilgrim Press, 2001.
Mickelsen, Alvera, ed. Women, Authority, and the Bible. Downers Grove,
IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986.
Mickelsen, A. Berkeley, and Alvera Mickelsen. Studies on Biblical Equality:
12 Lesson Outlines for Personal or Group Study. Minneapolis: Christians for
Biblical Equality, n. d.
Miles, Carrie A., and Laurence R. Iannacone, with Linda Ikeda. Male and
Female in Christ, 3rd ed. San Jose: Carrie Miles, 2000.
Miller, Casey, and Kate Swift. The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing. New York:
Harper Perennial, 1988.
Norén, Carol M. The Woman in the Pulpit. Nashville: Abingdon Press,
1992.
Osburn, Carroll. Women in the Church: Reclaiming the Ideal. Abilene, TX:
Abilene Christian University Press, 2001.
Perriman, Andrew. Speaking of Women: Interpreting Paul. Downers Grove,
IL: InterVarsity, London: Apollos, 1998.
93
Phelan, John E. Jr. All God’s People: An Exploration of the Call of Women to
Pastoral Ministry. Chicago: Covenant Publications, 2005.
Smith, Marilyn B. Gender or Giftedness: A Challenge to Rethink the Basis for
Leadership within the Christian Community. N.p.: World Evangelical Fel-
lowship Commission on Women’s Concerns. 2000.
Snodgrass, Klyne. The NIV Application Commentary: Ephesians. Grand Rap-
ids: Zondervan, 1996.
Spencer, Aida Besançon. Beyond the Curse: Women Called to Ministry. Nash-
ville: Thomas Nelson, 1985. Reprint, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publish-
ers, 1989.
Swartley, Willard M. Slavery, Sabbath, War and Women: Case Issues in Biblical
Interpretation. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1983.
Torjesen, Karen J. When Women Were Priests: Women’s Leadership in the Early
Church and the Scandal of Their Subordination in the Rise of Christianity. San
Francisco: Harper SanFrancisco, 1995.
Trombley, Charles. Who Said Women Can’t Teach? Gainsville, FL: Bridge-
Logos Publishers, 1987.
Tucker Ruth A., and Walter Liefeld. Daughters of the Church: Women and
Ministry from New Testament Times to the Present. Grand Rapids: Zonder-
van, 1987.
Tucker, Ruth A. Women in the Maze: Questions and Answers on Biblical
Equality. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992.
Van Leeuwen, Mary Stewart. Gender and Grace: Love, Work, and Parenting
in a Changing World. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1990.
Webb, William J. Slaves, Women and Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics
of Cultural Analysis. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.
Witherington, Ben, III. Women in the Earliest Church. Cambridge: Cam-
bridge University Press, 1991.
94
———. Women in the Ministry of Jesus: A Study of Jesus’ Attitudes to Women

and Their Roles as Reflected in His Earthly Life. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1987.
II. Articles and Chapters

Belleville, Linda. “Male and Female Leadership Roles in the New Testament,”
in Servant Leadership, Vol.1. Chicago: Covenant Publications, 1993.
Cervin, Richard. “Does Kephalē Mean ‘Source’ or ‘Authority Over’ in Greek
Literature? A Rebuttal.” Trinity Journal. 1989.
Gordon, Adoniram Judson. “The Ministry of Women.” World Missionary
Review. 1894.
Groothuis, Rebecca Merrill. “Complementarianism: What’s in a Name.” A
free article available at http://www.cbeinternational.org/new/free_articles/
complementarianism.shtml. 1999.
Fleming, Bruce C.E. “On the Meaning in Context of Those Troublesome
Verses on Women in 1 Peter.” Priscilla Papers. Summer 1991.
Kroeger, Richard, and Catherine Clark Kroeger. “Pandemonium and Silence
at Corinth.” The Reformed Journal, June 1978.
Neller, Kenneth V. “ ‘Submission’ in Eph. 5:21-33,” in Essays on Women in
Earliest Christianity. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1995.
Roper, Chip. “Gender and the Church.” A self-published paper available
at http://www.chitv.org/Pastor%20Chip’s%20Resources/GENDERII-
V.DOC, November 30, 2002.
Scholer, David M. “Galatians 3:28 and the Ministry of Women in the
Church.” Theology News and Notes. June 1998.
———. “Patterns of Authority in the Early Church,” in Servant Leadership,
Vol.1. Chicago: Covenant Publications, 1993.
95
———. “Women in Ministry,” a Bible Study. Reprinted from The Covenant

Companion. Chicago: Covenant Publications, December 1, 1983; December
15, 1983; January 1984; February 1984.
Snodgrass, Klyne. “Your Slaves—on Account of Jesus: Servant Leadership
in the New Testament,” in Servant Leadership, Vol.1. Chicago: Covenant
Publications, 1993.
Trull, Joe E. “Is the Head of the House at Home?” Priscilla Papers. Vol 14.
no. 3. Summer 2000.
96

Called and Gifted Student Guide

Încărcat de

Informații document

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

Called and Gifted Student Guide

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

S haron C airns M ann

CALLED & GIFTED

W ritten in an engagingly clear and irenic style, the Called and

Sharon Cairns Mann

SHARON CAIRNS MANN is a writer, speaker, and business owner. A mem-

Copyright © 2005 by Covenant Publications.

Unit One: Building Community

Unit Three: What Does Paul Really Teach?

Unit Four: A New Vision for Ministry

I mpressive scholarship on the subject of the biblical perspective on the

O ur beliefs about the roles of men and women in the home,

Why Study This Subject?

“SCRIPTURE GIVES US many examples that show us that God approves

What Are the Different Positions on Gender Roles in the Church?

Traditional (also known as hierarchical or patriarchal). This position

Egalitarian.2 The egalitarian position is rooted in the belief that God

How We See the World

3) Would you call yourself a traditionalist, a complementarian, or an egali-

M ost Christians believe that the Bible is the word of God. As

“MANY AUTHORS in their attempt to prove what Scripture says about

today’s hearers and readers. Consequently, when people, whether scholars

to work together to translate the Bible, so that there is a community of

Paradigms Relating to Gender Roles

2) If so, how important to you is it that it is accurately translated?

4) What are some of the challenges of biblical translation?

6) Can you identify any paradigms under which you operate?

7) Discuss the two paradigms of hierarchy and redemption. How do these

8) Is it possible to operate out of one paradigm, because that’s the way

History of Men and Women in

Starting at the Beginning

The Creation Account and Humanity

Genesis 1:26-31 (NIV)

Genesis 1:26-31 (TNIV)

MOST PEOPLE today recognize that man is a false generic—that is, it is

a command to them (both male and female). The command is to be fruit-

Details about the Creation of Humans

And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

What Kind of Companion Did God Make for Adam?

Damage to the Plan

In this passage we see that many good relationships were damaged by

into an asymmetrical relationship of domination and subordination. The

3) From what did God make Adam and the animals?

4) From what did God make Eve?

6) Is there any inferiority implied in Adam’s declaration?

In Preparation for Next Week

T he goal of this session is to show that, in spite of a patriarchal

Women in the Old Testament

Women in the New Testament

• When questioned by the Pharisees about divorce, Jesus resisted be-

Men and Women as Prophets in the Early Church

cause each one heard them speaking in the native language of

In this passage, we have the account of the day of Pentecost. What an

“THE GREEK WORD describing Phoebe is diaconis (which clearly means

2) What does it mean to “prophesy”?

In Preparation for Next Week

What Does Paul Really Teach?

The Meaning of Kephalē

W hile this study guide is focused on the subject of women in

Paul’s Use of Kephalē

“THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE lexicon of the Greek language of that pe-

kephalē, while it frequently can mean “ruler” or to hold “authority over,”

3) How does an understanding of the debate over kephalē, even though

In Preparation for Next Week

3. A. Berkeley Mickelsen and Alvera Mickelsen, Studies on Biblical Equality (Minneapolis: